Interstate 25 North - Monument to Castle Rock

Continuing north, Interstate 25 advances to the unincorporated community of Gleneagle.

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Baptist Road meets Interstate 25 at a diamond interchange (Exit 158) between Old Denver Road (old U.S. 85/87) and Jackson Creek Parkway, a commercial boulevard paralleling to the east.

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Baptist Road is the first of two interchanges along Interstate 25 north in the town of Monument.

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Baptist Road west leads to Forest Lakes Drive and the Forest Lakes development and east to Gleneagle and the Sanctuary Pointe development.

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A chain up area lines the northbound roadway for I-25 beyond the exchange with Baptist Road.

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A folded diamond interchange (Exit 161) joins Interstate 25 with SH 105 in the town of Monument. SH 105 was truncated east from nearby Jackson Creek Parkway to SH 83 by 2021. Sign changes at Exit 161 removed both control points.

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The Monument North Weigh Station follows Exit 161.

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Measuring 4.75 miles, the southern segment of SH 105 (Route 105A) leads northwest to the town of Palmer Lake and the Douglas County line. CR 105 (Perry Park Road) continues north from there to CR 46, where SH 105 (Route 105B) resumes north 4.47 miles to SH 67 at Sedalia.

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The I-25 South Gap Project Monument - Castle Rock expands 18 miles of I-25 from Exit 161 northward with tolled Express Lanes.¹ The Express Lanes opened to traffic on December 10, 2021.²

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Weigh stations operate along both directions of Interstate 25 by mile marker 161.

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Costing $419 million, widening of the 18 mile section of I-25 through "The Gap" commenced in September 2018 and runs through November 2022.¹

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The diamond interchange at Exit 163 links I-25/U.S. 85-87 with County Line Road east of Palmer.

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I-25/U.S. 85-87 ascends to a summit of 7,352 feet at Monument Hill just prior of the Douglas County line.

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Reconstruction of the County Line Road overpass at Exit 163 was added to the South Section of the I-25 South Gap Project in 2019. The widened span accommodates left turn lanes.¹

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Bald Mountain (el. 7,881 feet) rises prominently to the east of Interstate 25 just north of the El Paso County line.

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Interstate 25 makes a gradual easterly shift north from the El Paso County line toward Rattlesnake Butte (el. 7,575 feet).

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Nemrick Butte (el. 7,465 feet) appears to the northeast of Rattlesnake Butte while a tributary of Carpenter Creek flows along the east side of Interstate 25.

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True Mountain (el. 7,784 feet) comes into view just north of Bald Mountain.

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The 18 mile section of Interstate 25 between Monument and Castle Rock is known as "The Gap". The I-25 Gap Coalition, a group comprised of government and business leaders, advocated expansion of the remaining four lane segment I-25.³¹

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4.14 miles north into Douglas County, I-25 meets Greenland Road at a ranch exit. Split into three sections, the South Section of the I-25 South Gap Project - Monument - Castle Rock replaced the single lane box culvert at Exit 167 with a two lane underpass.¹

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Exit 167 departs I-25 north for Greenland Road east to Spring Valley Road and Noe Road west to Greenland.

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The I-25 South Gap Project raised Interstate 25 to accommodate a wildlife crossing north of Greenland Road.¹

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Interstate 25 makes a long S-curve northwest to pass between Larkspur (el. 7,535 feet) and Raspberry (el. 7,740 feet) Buttes. Rest areas were formerly situated along this stretch in both directions.

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The Larkspur rest areas permanently closed southbound in November 2008 and northbound on May 11, 2009. An increase in crime, budgetary issues with bringing the facilities up to health department code, and lack of capacity were cited as reasons for the closures.⁴

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The northbound rest area was completely abandoned while the southbound area was repurposed as a truck chain station. The areas were incorporated into I-25 at a time when minimal traveler services were available to motorists at both Monument and Larkspur.⁴

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Exit 172 follows as a diamond interchange with Upper Lake Gulch Road (CR 56) west to Spruce Mountain Road (CR 53). West from Exit 172, Upper Lake Gulch Road used to be part of SH 18 to Spruce Mountain Road. The 1,531 foot long state highway was turned back to local control around 2000.⁵

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Spruce Mountain Road is the former alignment of U.S. 85-87 leading south from I-25 (Exit 173 on southbound) into the town of Larkspur. The Middle Section of the I-25 South Gap Project replaced bridges at Upper Lake Gulch Road, Spruce Mountain Road and Plum Creek.¹

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Upper Lake Gulch Road (CR 56) leads east through Upper Lake Gulch, then changes to CR 51 en route to Castlewood Canyon State Park, near a junction with SH 83.

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Interstate 25 and parallel BNSF and Union Pacific Railroad lines arc westward to circumvent Hunt Mountain.

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I-25/U.S. 85-87 north next meet Tomah Road at Exit 174. 14 miles long, the northbound I-25 South Gap Express Lanes opened to traffic on December 10, 2021.²

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Travel time signs were added along Interstate 25 north through Douglas County in 2017.

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The diamond interchange at Exit 174 connects with paved frontage roads leading north to Tomah Road, and unpaved Sky View Lane west to an adjacent campground. Bear Dance Drive stems south from Tomah Road from the north, serving the Meribel Village, Sage Port and Village at Bear Dance golf course subdivisions to the west.

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Interstate 25 continues alongside East Plum Creek six miles north into the city of Castle Rock. Denver is 35 miles away.

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Descending gradually from Monument Hill in El Paso County, the freeway loses over 1,000 feet in elevation. The town of Castle Rock is situated at 6,202 feet above sea level.

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The speed limit decreases to 65 miles per hour north of Crystal Valley Parkway. I-25 was expanded to six overall lanes with a concrete surface and barrier median through Castle Rock in 2009. A modified diamond interchange (Exit 181) joins the freeway with Plum Creek Parkway west of Wilcox Street in one mile.

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Prior to mid 1990s, parallel Wilcox Street (old U.S. 85-87) north through Castle Rock was a state maintained business loop for I-25. The street meets I-25 directly at Exit 182 in 1.5 miles.

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One half mile from Exit 181 to Plum Creek Parkway west to Philip S. Miller Park and Coachline Road.

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Exit 181 leaves I-25 north for Plum Creek Parkway east to Wilcox Road, Fairgrounds Regional Park and Ridge Road near the Founders Village community.

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Wolfensberger Road (CR 46) meanders east from SH 105 (Perry Park Road) to the Monte Vista Estates community and west Castle Rock to connect with Interstate 25 opposite the north end of Wilcox Street (old Business Loop I-25) at Exit 182.

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Castle Rock rises to the north of the Castle Rock town center as Interstate 25 passes both to the west.

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Fifth Street spans Interstate 25 one half mile ahead of the diamond interchange (Exit 182) with Wolfensberger Road west and Wilcox Street south.

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Exit 182 departs with two lanes from I-25 north to Wilcox Street to Downtown Castle Rock. Several traveler services, an industrial park and a mobile home park lie to the immediate west.

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Widening of Interstate 25 to six lanes included the replacement of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge north of milepost 182.

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This reassurance for I-25 north stands by the Liggett Road overpass.

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Front Street runs along the east side of Interstate 25 to Exit 184 with SH 86 (Founders Parkway) east.

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An interchange sequence sign referenced the last two exits for Castle Rock and the first for Castle Pines. A greenout replaced Castle Pines Parkway with Castle Rock Parkway (Exit 185).

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U.S. 85 splits with I-25/U.S. 87 north at Exit 184 for Meadows Parkway west to Santa Fe Drive. U.S. 85 branches west along Plum Creek to Sedalia and north to Chatfield Lake and the Denver suburb of Littleton.

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One half mile ahead of the six-ramp parclo interchange (Exit 184) with Meadows and Founders Parkways. This sign peculiarly omits both U.S. 85 north and SH 86 east.

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Exit 184 leaves Interstate 25 north. SH 86 was redirected from 5th Street west in Castle Rock to Founders Parkway north to I-25 and U.S. 85 at Exit 184 in 2006.⁶ SH 86 turns east from the parkway in 4.35 miles toward Franktown.

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Located just north of U.S. 85 (Meadows Parkway), the trumpet interchange (Exit 185) with Castle Rock Parkway opened to traffic in August 2016.⁷

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With $85.7 million construction starting in October 2013, the joint CDOT and Douglas County project built both Castle Rock Parkway west to U.S. 85, and North Meadows Drive south to Meadows Boulevard.^7,8

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