C-470 construction was supposed to be completed nearly two weeks ago but will take additional months to finish – perhaps not until next summer.

The project’s expected completion date has been pushed to somewhere between December 2019 and June 2020, according to a statement from CDOT to CPR News. Work on the project is 83% done.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is placing the blame on its contractors, Flatiron and AECOM, and filed a formal notice of default Aug. 2. The notice could result in additional oversight or the removal of the contractors. CDOT’s default notice stated that the contractors misled their representation of the project’s progress.

Mike Keleman, CDOT’s project director, wrote in the notice that the contractors “failed to adequately address CDOT’s comments and concerns and continually misrepresented in the contract schedules that they were able to meet the required project completion deadlines.”

The contractors disagree, telling CPR News that unprecedented weather was the cause for the delay.

The project’s main goal is to add two westbound express lanes from Interstate 25 to Colorado Boulevard, one westbound express lane from Colorado to Wadsworth Boulevard, and one eastbound express lane from the South Platte River to I-25.

As construction continues, CDOT updates maps and explanations of the re-routes and detours for drivers on its website.