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Second Lawsuit To Stop Central 70 Project Dismissed

By Jamie Leary

DENVER (CBS4) - The Colorado Department of Transportation will continue with its Central 70 Project as scheduled after a lawsuit failed to stop the project.

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The lawsuit was denied in Denver District Court on Tuesday.

Rebecca White, Communications Manager for the Central 70 Project wrote in a statement Tuesday:

"The Court's decision, along with the recent dismissal of a second lawsuit, confirms CDOT's long-standing position that the diligence and community centered focus that led to the Central 70 Project would stand up to the toughest legal scrutiny. While this is not the final step in the legal process, it is an important validation of the work we have done and will continue to do as we move this important project forward. The sooner we can proceed to construction the sooner we can address this congested and deteriorating highway and bring relief to the 200,000 travelers who rely on I-70 every day." 

"Today's action is the latest legal action related to the merits of legal challenges against the Project and differs from an administrative hearing held last week on details of the administrative record. In February of this year a second lawsuit against the project was dismissed by local developer Kyle Zeppelin."

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The lawsuit cited concerns about a lack of analysis done into the adverse health impacts to those living in the immediate neighborhood.

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It was filed by the Sierra Club, the Elyria and Swansea Neighborhood Association, the Chaffee Park Neighborhood Association and the Colorado Latino Forum.

The project is now clear to continue as scheduled this summer despite ongoing legal battles.

This is the second lawsuit to have been dismissed.

Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.

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