Yes. The City of Wheat Ridge declared the Wadsworth Boulevard project between 35th Avenue and I-70 substantially complete in December 2025, and the two continuous flow intersections at 38th and 44th avenues work by moving left-turning drivers across oncoming lanes a block or two before the main signal.
For most of the early 2020s, Wadsworth Boulevard through central Wheat Ridge meant orange barrels and shifting lanes. Construction started in November 2021, the scope grew in 2023 when the city added a second continuous flow intersection at 38th Avenue, and the corridor was rebuilt in stages while businesses stayed open. If you have not driven it lately, the finished road can look unfamiliar.
The questions we hear most are simple: Is the work done? Why do the left-turn lanes start so far back? And does any of it matter for a home a few blocks off the corridor?
Jason Sirois is a Realtor with FORM at Compass Denver and an Applewood resident. This post covers where the project stands as of November 2026, how to drive the new intersections, and what the finished corridor means for nearby homes.
Is the Wadsworth Boulevard project finished?
The major work is done. On December 29, 2025, the city announced substantial completion of the Wadsworth Improvement Project and said the road was fully open. At that point the city said landscaping and artwork would be finished in the spring.
The city’s Improve Wadsworth project page, in its August 2026 update, still describes the project as substantially complete. That update also announced Cosecha, a public art installation by Cor4 Studios celebrating Wheat Ridge’s agricultural history, with five of seven weathering steel sculptures installed at the time. In late August the city also posted a traffic alert for two 20-foot monuments being set along the corridor, starting near 40th Avenue and the I-70 off-ramp.
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | Wadsworth Boulevard, 35th Avenue to I-70 | City of Wheat Ridge, Dec. 29, 2025 |
| Construction start | November 2021 | Improve Wadsworth timeline |
| Scope added | September 2023: second CFI at 38th Avenue | Improve Wadsworth timeline |
| Substantial completion | Announced Dec. 29, 2025 | City of Wheat Ridge |
| Total investment | $85 million (federal, state, regional and local, including a voter-approved half-cent sales tax) | City of Wheat Ridge |
| Federal funding | Almost $44 million | Improve Wadsworth FAQ |
| Continuous flow intersections | 38th Avenue and 44th Avenue, the first in Jefferson County | City of Wheat Ridge |
| Public art | Cosecha by Cor4 Studios; five of seven pieces installed as of Aug. 2026 | Improve Wadsworth, Aug. 2026 |
How does a continuous flow intersection work?
A continuous flow intersection, or CFI, changes where left turns happen. In a standard intersection, a driver turning left waits in the middle for a gap in oncoming traffic or for a green arrow. In a CFI, that driver crosses over to a dedicated lane on the far left side of the road at a separate signal, about two blocks before the main intersection. By the time they reach the main signal, they are already on the left and can turn at the same time as through traffic moves.
The city’s Wadsworth FAQ explains the reasoning: the design reduces the number of points where turning drivers cross in front of oncoming cars, keeps traffic moving with fewer stops, and needed less land at 38th and 44th than traditional intersections with double left-turn lanes would have.
Where do I get in line to turn left at 38th and 44th?
This is where most drivers get caught the first few times. You have to commit to the left turn early. According to the city, the entry points are:
- Northbound Wadsworth to westbound 38th Avenue: enter the left-turn lane north of 35th Avenue and use the crossover signal at the driveway between 3rd Shot Pickleball and Raising Cane’s.
- Southbound Wadsworth to eastbound 38th Avenue: enter the left-turn lane south of 41st Avenue and use the crossover signal at the Safeway shopping center driveway.
- Northbound Wadsworth to westbound 44th Avenue: enter the left-turn lane north of 41st Avenue and use the crossover signal at the driveway near Sugar Cube Coffee.
- Southbound Wadsworth to eastbound 44th Avenue: enter the left-turn lane south of 46th Avenue and use the crossover signal at 45th Avenue.
If you miss the entrance, the city’s guidance is to continue straight through the main intersection and turn left or make a legal U-turn at the next opportunity. Do not try to turn left from the through lanes at 38th or 44th. That movement is no longer allowed.
What changed for right turns, side streets and businesses?
The change locals notice most after left turns is on 38th and 44th avenues. Right turns on red from eastbound or westbound 38th or 44th onto Wadsworth are prohibited because of the CFI configuration, and electronic signs show a No Right Turn symbol when the turn is not allowed.
Along the rest of the corridor, raised medians now limit some left turns into driveways. The city says signalized left turns are allowed into major shopping centers at 36th, 39th, 41st, 43rd and 45th avenues. The project also added a new signal at 41st Avenue and removed the signal at 3 Acre Lane, north of 41st.
Is Wadsworth easier to walk and bike now?
The corridor now has a continuous sidewalk on the west side and a multi-use path on the east side from 35th Avenue north. The city says the new sidewalks are at least eight feet wide in all but one location, separated from traffic by a landscape strip or a paved buffer. Raised crosswalks slow drivers at several free right-turn lanes, including corners at 38th and 44th, and pedestrian signals include audible cues.
The north end ties into Johnson Park and the Clear Creek Trail. For homes in the neighborhoods east and west of Wadsworth, that turns a stretch of road that used to be hard to walk into a direct route to one of the metro area’s longest trails.
What does the finished corridor mean for nearby homes?
We do not have data that isolates the effect of the Wadsworth project on home prices, and we would be cautious of anyone who claims a precise number. What we can describe is what changed. The construction is over, so listings near the corridor no longer have to explain years of lane closures to buyers. Access to the shopping centers at 38th and 44th is now set, and the trail connection at the north end is open. The city also says ten new businesses opened along the corridor during construction.
For sellers near Wadsworth, describe the location in terms of the finished road: the trail connection, the signalized access, the shops. For buyers, drive to and from the house once at rush hour, including the left turns you would make, so the CFI pattern is not a surprise.
Wadsworth is also part of a bigger set of changes in central Wheat Ridge. Preliminary results posted November 4, 2026 by Keating Research showed Wheat Ridge ballot issue 2A passing with 51.7% of the vote; results were not yet certified. Our earlier post explains what 2A would change and what it would pay for. A few miles west, the city is planning its 38th Avenue West End project between Youngfield and Kipling. For neighborhood details and recent sales, see our Wheat Ridge community page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the continuous flow intersections on Wadsworth?
There are two, at 38th Avenue and 44th Avenue. The city says they are the first continuous flow intersections in Jefferson County.
How do I turn left from Wadsworth onto 38th Avenue?
Get into the left-turn lane early. Northbound, enter it north of 35th Avenue and cross over at the signal by Raising Cane’s. Southbound, enter it south of 41st Avenue and cross over at the Safeway driveway. Then follow the green arrow at 38th.
Can I turn right on red onto Wadsworth at 38th or 44th?
No. Right turns on red from 38th or 44th Avenue onto Wadsworth are prohibited because of the CFI layout. An electronic sign shows a No Right Turn symbol when the turn is not allowed, so wait for the green and follow the lane markings.
How much did the Wadsworth project cost?
The city puts the total at $85 million, funded by federal, state, regional and local sources, including a half-cent sales tax Wheat Ridge voters approved in 2016. The city’s FAQ says almost $44 million of that was federal funding.
Does Wadsworth connect to the Clear Creek Trail now?
Yes. The project added a multi-use path on the east side and a sidewalk on the west side with direct connections to Johnson Park and the Clear Creek Trail at the north end of the corridor.
If you are weighing a move near Wadsworth, or wondering how the finished corridor fits into a sale, Jason Sirois and the FORM Team at Compass Denver are happy to walk through it with you.
This post is for general information only. Traffic rules and project details come from the City of Wheat Ridge and may change; follow posted signs and signals. Election results cited were preliminary as of November 4, 2026.
