$29M Santa Fe Drive Streetscape Project Begins Construction

DENVER, CO — A major reconstruction of Santa Fe Drive is now underway, beginning a multi-year project that will reshape several blocks of the corridor through Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe.

Closed Road and Detour Route for the Santa Fe Drive Redesign Project

The $29 million project will rebuild Santa Fe Drive between West 6th and West 13th avenues, introducing wider sidewalks, redesigned intersections, new landscaping, upgraded lighting, drainage improvements, public art and expanded pedestrian and gathering spaces.

The project is being delivered through Denver’s voter-approved 2025 Vibrant Denver Bond Program in coordination with Denver Water, Xcel Energy and Hamon Infrastructure. While the most visible streetscape construction is expected to begin in September, work beneath the roadway has already started.

Denver Water began replacing a 136-year-old water main beneath Santa Fe Drive in August. Crews are starting near West 7th Avenue and progressing north toward West 12th Avenue in one- to two-block increments.

The utility work requires full closures of sections of Santa Fe Drive during working hours. Denver Water is generally working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend work also possible.

Crews will excavate a trench, install the new water main, test the pipe and connect it to the existing water system. The roadway will be temporarily patched and reopened after work each night. As the water main replacement progresses, Denver Water says businesses will remain open and local access will be maintained through surrounding side streets.

The water main replacement is only the first phase of a much larger reconstruction planned for the corridor.

Beginning in September, Hamon Infrastructure is expected to mobilize for the permanent streetscape improvements while Xcel Energy begins relocating gas lines and upgrading electrical infrastructure. The utility work is being coordinated with the larger project to prepare the corridor for new pedestrian and street lighting.

Santa Fe Drive Street Redesign | Sourced from the City & County of Denver

Redesigning Santa Fe Drive

One of the most significant changes will be a reconfiguration of the existing roadway. The city's preferred cross-section removes a travel lane and maintains two 11-foot travel lanes along with approximately 7.5-foot parking lanes on both sides of the street.

Space along the edges of the roadway will instead be used for approximately six-foot placemaking buffers between parking and the existing sidewalks, although the exact configuration will vary along the corridor.

Renderings released by the city show those areas incorporating new trees, stormwater planters, seating, bike racks and other pedestrian amenities. Intersections will also be reconstructed to shorten pedestrian crossing distances, while new landscaping and green infrastructure will help manage stormwater along the corridor.

Other proposed streetscape elements shown in the city's design materials include concrete seat walls, patterned paving, backed chairs and seating stools, tree grates, freestanding planters and new lighting incorporating district identifiers.

Public art will also be incorporated into the project through Denver's 1% for Public Art program in partnership with Denver Arts & Venues.

Together, the improvements are intended to create additional pedestrian and gathering space while maintaining vehicle access, parking and mobility through the district.

Santa Fe Drive Streetscape Redesign | Sourced from the City & County of Denver

Construction Will Continue Through 2028

Denver Water and Xcel Energy are expected to complete their utility work in early 2027. Once that work is finished, the city says one lane of Santa Fe Drive will remain open while Hamon continues construction on the permanent streetscape.

Hamon Infrastructure is currently expected to complete the overall project by the end of 2028.

Construction will affect parking, traffic patterns, sidewalks and some RTD stops at different points during the project. However, the city says access to businesses will be maintained and First Friday events will continue throughout construction.

The project team plans to use temporary signage and wayfinding to direct pedestrians and drivers around active construction areas and identify access points for businesses.

For now, the work happening beneath Santa Fe Drive is preparing the corridor for the much larger transformation that will follow above it, beginning a reconstruction that will continue to reshape the district over the next two years.

Construction Team

• Lead Agency: City and County of Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI)

• Design: Kimley-Horn & Dig Studio

• General Contractor / Streetscape Construction: Hamon Infrastructure

• Water Infrastructure: Denver Water

• Gas & Electrical Utilities: Xcel Energy

• Public Art Partner: Denver Arts & Venues

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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.