DENVER -- Construction on the long-awaited effort to widen I-70, from Brighton Boulevard eastward to Chambers Road, begins in less than two weeks.
Tonight, Denver's Board of Public Health & Environment will host a public hearing on a request by Kiewit - Meridiam Partners for a noise variance that will them to work at night.
The contractors say allowing them to work at night will shorten the overall construction time table by about ten months.
There are mixed opinions about the request.
"I don't want 24-hour construction around here," said Ida Ramirez, who lives a few doors north of I-70 on Columbine Street. "It's noisy enough the way it is and this little bit of (setup) work that they're doing here, people can't sleep."
Gerard Tomas, who family has lived on Columbine, across from Swansea Elementary School, for years, says he has mixed feelings.
"I was opposed to (the expansion project) at first," he said, "but it turns out I'm actually going to work for them."
Tomas said working on the Central 70 project will pay for his education so he can become a welder.
While he now supports reconstruction, he has qualms about night work, because of the noise.
"I don't feel comfortable with it," he said. "I think working during the day should be sufficient enough. I think they should give the neighbors a rest during the night."
His mom has a different take.
"Whatever it's going to need to get it done, let's get it done," said Julia Tomas. "Why complain about a little noise when we know it's going to be for the good of Denver, Colorado."
The public hearing on the noise variance begins at 5:30 p.m. in room 389 at the Denver City & County Building.