16th Street Mall improvement project, MallRide detours begin in April

Denver will begin mobilizing for the 16th Street Mall improvement project from Market Street to Broadway during the first week of April. The project will improve safety and mobility, address deteriorating infrastructure and create more opportunities for people to enjoy the Mall as a vibrant community gathering place.

The first major upgrade to the Mall in nearly 40 years, the project will include a new granite paver system that honors the iconic original design by I.M. Pei and Olin. The work will move transit lanes to the center of each block, add more trees and expand sidewalks.

While some preconstruction work is already underway related to underground utilities and other structures, Detours will be in place beginning April 4 for RTD’s Free MallRide service.

Improvements will start at Market Street and move toward Broadway. Work will progress to the next adjacent block approximately every four to eight weeks.

While pedestrians will still be able to walk to all restaurants, businesses and shops, RTD’s Free MallRide will be detoured around construction to 15th and 17th streets until work is complete in late 2024.

During the first phase of construction, the Free MallRide detour will take place between Wazee and Arapahoe streets. For more information on RTD’s Free MallRide detours, or to sign up for service alerts, visit https://www.rtd-denver.com/app/alerts.

Construction work and schedules are weather dependent. For updated project information, visit the 16th Street Mall Project website.

PCL Construction Services is the contractor for this $149 million design/build project managed by Denver’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure.