RTD completes light rail track reconstruction on schedule at Kalamath Street Crossing

DENVER (Dec. 3, 2025) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has successfully completed an 86-day project to fully reconstruct a segment of light rail track adjacent to the Colfax at Auraria Station that crosses southbound Kalamath Street. The work, which wrapped up on Tuesday, Nov. 25, supports the long-term integrity of the tracks and maintains RTD’s oldest light rail assets in a state of good repair.

“RTD is committed to delivering critical infrastructure improvements that will ensure smooth service for our customers for decades to come,” said Angel Peña, RTD’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to the dedicated project team, we were able to deliver this phase of work on schedule and keep customers, project partners, and key community stakeholders informed on its progress every step of the way.”

The full-depth reconstruction of the tracks involved:

• Track replacement (1,300 feet): Crews replaced 1,300 feet of track, which included removing the existing concrete, rail, ties and ballast. Crews distributed fresh ballast stone to ensure a smooth surface beneath the track, replaced the ties and clips that hold the track in place and completed 81 track welds to fuse the new rail together. They installed over one mile of rubber flangeway filler to close the gaps between the rail and the concrete track paving.
• Special trackwork (1,100 feet): Crews installed 1,100 feet of restraining rail, a critical safety component that prevents train wheels from derailing around tight curves and reduces long-term wear on the system.
• Foundation and vehicle crossing upgrades: Crews completed a concrete foundation and installed prefabricated concrete panels to support the finished rail structure at the Kalamath Street vehicle crossing.
• Accessibility and station upgrades: Crews upgraded two pedestrian crossings with tactile warning strips for pedestrians with visual impairments and completed signage improvements on the Colfax at Auraria station platform.
• Safety and quality testing: Inspectors conducted tests on the new track components at every step of the process, including ultrasonic testing of completed welds, rail-to-earth testing, and ballast gradation testing to ensure a safe, smooth ride for all future customers.

Throughout the work, RTD maintained a regular cadence of communication with key community stakeholders and customers, delivering weekly updates on the construction’s progress, light rail service anticipated disruptions, and alternate connections through downtown Denver.

• You can find a record of weekly reports on the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project webpage.
• Click here for the final Kalamath Crossing work in review report.

As a partner to numerous local agencies and community members adjacent to the work at Kalamath Street, RTD provided significant value by sharing information and updates through the agency’s social media channels and in regular project communications between September and November 2025:

• More than 50 stakeholder meetings, presentations, and engagement events
• 13 weekly updates were sent to more than 6,000 stakeholders
• 66 social media posts garnered more than 107,000 impressions
• Eight project videos received nearly 150,000 views
• RTD’s project webpage received more than 9,750 unique visits
• 71 news articles about the project garnered 33.9 million impressions

Special Holiday Service in Downtown

RTD continues to support customer connections following successful project completion by offering a special daily light rail service that will temporarily operate every 15 minutes, 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. between I-25•Broadway and 30th•Downing stations. The special holiday service is available to customers Friday, Nov. 28, through Saturday, Jan. 3, ahead of RTD’s proposed January Service Changes.Learn more about the holiday light rail service here.

Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project Lookahead

In addition to the Kalamath Street Crossing work, RTD also completed the first phase of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction project in 2024, which involved reconstruction of five key intersections in the Downtown Loop. The agency is finalizing comprehensive plans and timelines for upcoming phases of Downtown Rail Reconstruction work, which may occur simultaneously.

Future phases will focus on the following activities:

• Colfax Avenue Alignment: Full-depth reconstruction of the track that runs adjacent to Colfax, west of the completed Kalamath Crossing.
• Downtown Loop Midblocks: Full-depth reconstruction of rail segments between intersections on California and Stout streets between 14th and 18th avenues.
• Welton Street Corridor: Design work for planned improvements.

The successful delivery of the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project reflects RTD’s ongoing commitment to make lives better through connections by developing and maintaining the systems and infrastructure that create a welcoming transit environment. Learn more about the behind-the-scenes work on the Downtown Rail Reconstruction Project on the RTD YouTube Channel.