Northwest Parkway

Northwest Parkway is a nine-mile (14 km) expressway that runs from U.S. Highway 36 (US 36) to the Interstate 25 (I-25)/E-470 interchange. Both termini are in Broomfield, northwest of Denver. In combination with E-470 (47 miles (76 km)) and State Highway 470 (SH 470; 27 miles (43 km)), the Northwest Parkway forms a partial beltway of approximately 83 miles (134 km) around the Denver metropolitan area. Some 18 miles (29 km) lie between the west end of Northwest Parkway and the northwest end of SH 470, the opposite end of the beltway.[1]

Northwest Parkway marker

Northwest Parkway

Northwest Parkway highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Northwest Parkway Public Highway Authority
Length9.052 mi (14.568 km)
Major junctions
West end US 36 in Broomfield
East end I-25 / E-470 in Broomfield
Location
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountiesBroomfield, Boulder
Highway system
  • Colorado State Highway System
Interchange of the Northwest Parkway, I-25, and E-470

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,[2] 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 before reentering Broomfield near the end of the toll portion at 96th Street.[2] The parkway continues untolled for one last mile (1.6 km) 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 $5.00 for the barrier on the mainline gantry and $1.70 for the ramp gantries.[3] ExpressToll and Go-Pass users do not pay processing fees, late fees, or any other fees in addition to the toll amount. [3]

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 and Arvada put into motion the completion of an extension of the Northwest Parkway, sometimes termed W-470, to connect to SH 470, I-70, and US 6 in Golden. The city of Golden struck down the proposal, but, in a compromise with the Colorado Department of Transportation (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 and CCR S.A. According to the Boulder Daily Camera, 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.[4]

The Northwest Parkway had been consistently generating less income than envisioned when it was funded by three local governments—Broomfield, Lafayette, and Weld County. The parkway was built with $416.4 million (equivalent to $597 million in 2021[5]) 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.[6]

Exit list
CountyLocationmi[7]kmExitDestinationsNotes
City and County of Broomfield46.398–
46.950		74.670–
75.559
 E-470 south – Denver International Airport		Continuation south
47 I-25 – Denver, Fort CollinsI-25 exit 228
48.07077.36148Sheridan Parkway
49.28079.308Toll Gantry
BoulderLafayette52.36084.26552 US 287 / Dillon Road – Lafayette, Broomfield
City and County of Broomfield54.45087.62996th Street north / Via Varra south – LouisvilleAt-grade intersection; west end of freeway section
55.4589.24 US 36 (Denver-Boulder Turnpike)Interchange; west end of Northwest Parkway; road continues as Interlocken Loop
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. "Overview of Northwest Parkway". mapquest. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  2. "Bing Maps". Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  3. "Tolls". Northwest Parkway. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  4. Wallace, Alicia (December 24, 2007). "Business Briefs". Boulder Daily Camera. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  5. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved January 1, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  6. Avery, Greg (March 5, 2007). "Road to riches: Private company may purchase Northwest Parkway". Boulder Daily Camera. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  7. "Highway Data". Colorado Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2022. Note that not every interval between mileposts is exactly a mile (1.6 km), explaining why more exits than expected are at the exact milepost.
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