The Colfax Avenue and Broadway intersection will be closed for a lot of Saturday as Denver Water kicks off old pipe replacement project

While some of the work could continue into Sunday, Denver Water says they will ¡Viva! shouldn’t disturb. Celebrations on the streets of Denver.

This weekend, Denver Water is embarking on a major project to replace old pipes on a five-mile stretch of East Colfax Avenue in preparation for the installation of Bus Rapid Transit lanes.

This is the transit project that will bring high-speed bus service up and down Colfax, led by the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, along with RTD, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Authority and the City of Aurora.

The pipe replacement project begins this Saturday on Colfax Avenue between Broadway and Sherman Street. The pipe up to Yosemite Street is scheduled to be replaced by 2024.

“On Monday, June 5, teams will begin work on East Colfax Avenue between Broadway and Yosemite Street, working in two- to three-block increments at a time,” Denver Water said in a statement. “The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.”

While the first phase of the work is scheduled to be completed between early Saturday morning and 7pm that evening, there is a chance it will continue into Sunday and coincide with another major Broadway shutdown.

This is ¡Viva! Streets Denver, the event that closes a section of Welton Street and Broadway to car traffic so cyclists, pedestrians, skaters, scooter riders and more can enjoy what Denver might be like without cars.

Joshua Schneider, a spokesman for the Downtown Denver Partnership, assured Denverite that organizers were aware of the plumbing and construction and should not cause headaches for those attending Sunday’s event.

“You’re fixing a problem, which is great, but ¡Viva! should not affect! roads in general,” he said.

Denver Water spokesman Jimmy Luthye said there will be barriers, signage and traffic controls to keep people away from the equipment and work area.

“While we are confident that work at the intersection will be complete by Saturday night, we have been working closely with the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and RTD to ensure our work safely coexists with the Viva Streets while maintaining access.” event attendees,” Luthye said in a written statement.

The Denverite crew will also be near the intersection of Broadway and Colfax at ¡Viva! to be stationed. Streets during the day so come by, see how the pipe replacement is going and say hello.

Chaos will reign in Colfax while the work takes place.

Starting this weekend, the pipe project will take place Monday through Friday.

The work will disrupt bus schedules and traffic throughout the year. Visit the RTD Service Notification page for more information.

Although traffic may be rerouted, Denver Water cautioned that access to homes and businesses should not be impacted.