DENVER (CBS4) – The Regional Transportation District broke ground Friday on the first extension of the light rail line along Interstate 225.

The train will run from the Nine Mile station at Parker Road up to Iliff Avenue. The service is due to start in the summer of 2014.

Eventually the line will connect with the rail line being built to Denver International Airport. Work is being done at the same time CDOT is adding extra traffic lanes to that stretch of I-225.

(credit: CBS)

The first step of the highway project is removing the overpass at Yale to make room for the new lanes and light rail.

CDOT will be closing both directions of I-225 between Parker and Iliff starting at 9 p.m. Friday. It reopens at 6 a.m. Saturday.

On Saturday night there’ll another complete shutdown from 8 p.m. until 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Detours will be posted.