The Northwest Parkway is a road that runs from
U.S. Highway 36 (US 36) to the
Interstate 25 (I-25)/
E-470 interchange. Both terminuses are in
Broomfield, northwest of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. In combination with E-470 () and
State Highway 470 (SH 470; ), the Northwest Parkway forms a partial
beltway
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...
of approximately around the
Denver metropolitan area. Some lie between the west end of the Northwest Parkway and the northwest end of SH 470, the opposite end of the beltway.
The Northwest Parkway was funded entirely with private money and charges a $4.10 toll. Tolls may be paid using highway-speed
electronic tolling.
Route description
The Northwest Parkway begins as a continuation of
E-470 westward. Following a
stack interchange with
I-25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
,
the parkway crosses Huron Street in suburban Broomfield, surrounded by fields. After intersecting Sheridan Parkway, the route passes a small pond, followed by an underpass with Lowell Boulevard. Near Dillon Road, the parkway interchanges with
US 287 in
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...
before reentering Broomfield near the end of the toll portion at 96th Street.
The parkway continues untolled for before terminating at an interchange with
US 36.
Tolls
Tolls on the Northwest Parkway are charged based on a
barrier toll system. It costs two-axle vehicles $4.10 for the barrier on the mainline plaza and $1.35 for the ramp gantries.
ExpressToll and Go-Pass users do not pay processing fees, late fees, or any other fees in addition to the toll amount.
History
The Northwest Parkway opened to the public in November 2003. In November 2005, a new intersection opened at Sheridan Boulevard in northern Broomfield. In August 2001, the cities of
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
and
Arvada
Arvada () is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 124,402 at the 2020 United States Census, with 121,510 residing in Jefferson County and 2,892 residing in Adams Cou ...
put into motion the completion of an extension of the Northwest Parkway, sometimes termed W-470, to connect to
SH 470,
I-70
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the c ...
, and
US 6 in
Golden. The city of Golden struck down the proposal, but, in a compromise with the
Colorado Department of Transportation
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT, pronounced See Dot) is the principal department of the Colorado state government that administers state government transportation responsibilities in the state of Colorado. CDOT is responsible f ...
(CDOT), an
environmental impact statement (EIS) was done. Most likely, Indiana Street and
SH 93 would be used to complete the beltway.
Lease to foreign consortium
In 2007, the board of directors of the Northwest Parkway agreed to lease the operations of the highway to a consortium for 99 years. The two companies of the consortium are
Brisa – Auto-estradas de Portugal
Brisa – Auto-estradas de Portugal, S.A. is a Portugal-based international transportation company. The group's largest business area is highway management, in which it is the largest concessionaire in its home country. Founded in 1972 by Jorge ...
and
CCR S.A.
CCR, formerly Companhia de Concessões Rodoviárias, is a transportation company with interests in private interstate highway concessions, airport operations, metro system in Brazil and other countries. The Company controls 9 subsidiary conces ...
According to the Boulder
Daily Camera
The ''Daily Camera'' is a newspaper in Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is owned by Prairie Mountain Publishing, a division of Digital First Media.
History
Frederick P. Johnson and Bert Bell founded the weekly ''Boulder Camera'' in 1890, and ...
, this was the fourth time in two years that operations of an existing toll road in the US had been turned over to a private company under a long-term lease.
The Northwest Parkway had been consistently generating less income than envisioned when it was funded by three local governments—Broomfield, Lafayette, and
Weld County
Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 328,981. The county seat is Greeley.
Weld County comprises the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Denver ...
. The parkway was built with $416.4 million (equivalent to $ in ) in bonds, to be paid back with toll revenue over 35 years. Due to the road's underuse, the bond debt was downgraded in 2006. Use in 2007 was 12,000 cars per day, well below the 18,500 expected by 2004, one year after opening.
Exit list
See also
*
State Highway 470
*
E-470
References
External links
{{AttachedKML, display=title,inline
Denver's 470 SagaNorthwest Parkway official web siteEXpressToll official web site
Toll roads in Colorado
Transportation in Boulder County, Colorado
Transportation in Broomfield County, Colorado
Denver metropolitan area
Interstate 70
Freeways in the United States