"Finally moving toward construction after several years of rising costs and design refinements." That line comes from the spring 2026 issue of the University Park Community Council's newsletter. It describes the Buchtel Complete Street and Evans Intersection Improvements project, which began with $8.4 million from Denver's 2017 GO Bond. Construction started in July. Starting Sunday, it reaches a stage most people in University Park can't miss. Buchtel Boulevard will be closed around the clock from University Boulevard to St. Paul Street.
Nine years have passed between the bond vote and this week's barricades. Most of the work is still to come. The section closing now is the first phase, and it was always planned to go first. The intersection rebuilds at Colorado and on Evans come later. The city expects to finish the whole corridor in late 2027.
Seven Days, Four Changes
Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure lists these impacts for Sunday, Oct. 11, through Saturday, Oct. 17.
| What's affected | What changes | The workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Buchtel Blvd, University to St. Paul | Full closure 24/7 to through traffic | Detours posted to Evans Avenue |
| Southbound University turning left onto eastbound Buchtel | Turn lane closed with cones | Follow the Evans detour |
| Northbound University, Jewell to the southbound I-25 on-ramp | Right lane closed, traffic shifted to one lane | The I-25 on-ramp stays open |
| South sidewalk on Buchtel | Closed to people on foot and on bikes | Detour to the north side and the trail |
Crews will still keep local access to driveways and businesses open. The northbound University lane closure began Aug. 21 and was announced for "up to six weeks." The city's weekly update still lists it for this week, so the six-week estimate has already run past.
There is also a new walking route that's easy to miss. The city has added a pedestrian detour at the southeast corner of University and Buchtel. It provides east-west access through the south crosswalk, runs north and south, and can be reached from DU's Lot 108. The route is fully ADA-compliant, with ramps at both ends. The city suggests allowing an extra one to two minutes to walk it.
This week's work is spread across two areas. On the east side of the University and Buchtel intersection, crews are removing medians, setting mast arms for new traffic signals, and paving. On Buchtel between University and St. Paul, they are pouring concrete flatwork and laying asphalt.
Why Buchtel Waited So Long
According to the city, community members in the University area prioritized better connections and safer streets around the University and Colorado light-rail stations. Those priorities came out of Denver Moves and the 2017 University/Colorado Multi-station Plan and Mobility Study.
One related piece is already in place. The city's program page lists a Buchtel protected bike lane from Corona to University Boulevard, with paving and construction in 2022. The current project adds protected bike lanes along about two miles of Buchtel, from just west of University to east of Colorado, which carries them out toward Colorado Station.
The UPCC newsletter explains the gap in plain terms. Costs rose, the design kept being refined, and even this summer's start was "pending final right-of-way acquisitions." The council's board was paying attention to money as well. Its January 2026 minutes list the Buchtel bike lanes as a possible general-meeting topic, next to the note "Denver budget a disaster." That was a planning note for an agenda, not a position on the project. It does show the council was tracking the city's finances as construction got closer.
What the Concrete Is For
The city describes the goal as turning Buchtel into a complete street. Here is the scope as listed:
- Protected bike lanes, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings along about two miles of Buchtel. The stretch runs from just west of University Boulevard to east of Colorado Boulevard, ending on Colorado Center Drive at Birch Street.
- Five rebuilt intersections. Three are on Buchtel, at University, St. Paul, and Colorado. Two are on Evans, at University and Colorado.
- Realigned travel lanes and new traffic signals to reduce turning conflicts.
- New crosswalks next to RTD's Colorado Station.
- New lighting and wayfinding along the corridor.
The newsletter also lists new medians and ADA ramp improvements. You can already see what the finished street will look like. Photos on the city's project page show a new bike lane with a curb barrier, plus new sidewalk and curb and gutter, along Buchtel west of St. Paul.
The University and Buchtel corner also appears in a separate city study. Denver's February 2026 road safety audit of University Boulevard recorded one fatal crash at the University and Buchtel intersection within its study corridor. That audit covered University Boulevard, not Buchtel itself. The same intersection is one of the five this project rebuilds with new traffic signals.
A Week That Ends on a Saturday Night
The closure lifts at the end of Saturday, Oct. 17. That same evening, the Newman Center at DU hosts Paul Taylor Dance Company at 7:30 p.m. The center's listing calls it a "long-awaited return." If you're driving in from the north or east that night, Buchtel between University and St. Paul is still closed for the last day. The southbound left turn from University onto Buchtel is closed too. The city's posted detours send traffic to Evans, and the walking detour from Lot 108 is open.
Evans takes the extra traffic this week, and the street is changing in other ways too. Post Oak BBQ, the Texas-style barbecue spot from Berkeley's 4000 Tennyson St., is building a second location at 1737 E. Evans Ave. It's taking over the former Sawa Mediterranean space. In May, owner Nick Prince told The Denver Post that the team hoped to open "by October." He also said the larger kitchen would let them try brisket burgers and tomahawk steaks. A later report said permit applications for the tenant finish were still under review. As of Oct. 10, we found no confirmation that it has opened.
The far end of the corridor already has its own regular destinations. The UPCC newsletter lists Regal UA Colorado Center at 2000 S. Colorado Blvd., between Dave & Buster's and Junction Food & Drink. That is where the later and harder phase of this project will happen.
The Order of Things From Here
- July 2026. Construction begins, starting with the full closure of Buchtel from University to St. Paul.
- Aug. 21. The northbound University right lane closes from Jewell to the I-25 on-ramp.
- Oct. 11–17. Buchtel is closed 24/7 between University and St. Paul, and the south sidewalk is closed.
- Around Oct. 20. Work moves from the east side of the University and Buchtel intersection to the west side, with southbound right lane closures expected. The city says it will post updates once dates are confirmed.
- Through November 2026. The first phase on Buchtel between University and St. Paul is expected to wrap up.
- Later phases. Major intersection work at Colorado and Buchtel, then the rest of the corridor improvements.
- Late 2027. Expected completion.
Normal work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, with some overnight and weekend work. Single-lane closures with traffic shifts can happen between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. The city notes that every date depends on weather and may change. The city's project page posts the weekly closure list, and the UPCC's spring newsletter gives the phase-by-phase account. After the work moves west around Oct. 20, the next big change on Buchtel will be the intersection at Colorado.
A street that takes more than a year to rebuild changes how a house near it feels. It affects which way you turn out of the driveway, how long the walk to the light rail takes, and how quiet the evenings are. If you live near Buchtel and are thinking about a move in the next eighteen months, Erin Hollingsworth can help you work out what this timeline means for your timing. Work with Erin.
