Metro Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) is beginning maintenance work Thursday on downtown’s light rail service that will affect travel for two weeks.

Track maintenance on the H and L lines starts Thursday at 3:30 a.m. and is scheduled to last until Sept. 23. The light rails will return to regular service on Sept. 24.

Existing tracks along the H and L lines downtown will be replaced as one of several maintenance projects planned in the coming years to “directly (benefit) the traveling public,” RTD said.

During the scheduled construction time the L line will have no service. RTD suggests riders take bus Route 43 as an alternative, with southbound and westbound stops on California Street and northbound and eastbound stops on Stout Street.

The H line will remain semi operational during construction but will have no service north of Theatre District – Convention Center Station. Bus shuttles will serve the H Line at the following stations:

• Theatre District – Convention Center Station
• 16th & Stout and 18th & Stout stations
• 18th & California and 16th & California stations

Transportation officials recommend riders plan for additional travel time.