It’s happening again, Denver transit riders.

Beginning Sunday, Regional Transportation District light rail trains are no longer traveling through Denver’s central business district. At least until late November.

RTD is ready to embark on the second phase of its $152 million downtown rail reconstruction project. Reconstruction aims to replace the aging light rail track.

Last year, RTD focused on reconstruction at five downtown intersections, causing road closures and light rail detours. This year, crews are replacing the 30-year-old track north of the Colfax at Auraria station along Kalamath Street near Colfax Avenue.

Construction work begins Tuesday after Labor Day. Light rail closures and detours began Sunday due to the beginning of the week protocols. Closures are anticipated to last for at least 86 days, according to RTD officials.

Each day, more than 300 light rail trains circle downtown, according to RTD.

Similar to last year’s phase, most light rail trains serving the downtown business loop will detour to Union Station:

• H line trains will only serve between Florida and Southmoor stations. All H Line passengers can transfer to the E Line to go downtown.
• D line trains from Littleton/Mineral Station detours to Union Station.
• There is no L Line service. Bus route 43 serves as an alternative.
• The E, R and W lines are experiencing minor schedule changes.

Downtown light rail closures expect to impact travel to and from downtown and Colorado Convention Center events, which, in October, hosts the Great American Beer Festival. Specifically, on Labor Day weekend, closures can impact how busy transit is around Union Station.

Thousands of attendees appreciated the convenience of going straight from the festival to the light rail stop at the center. Free downtown bus routes remain available to transport riders to light rails stops outside the detour zones, read Union Station.

The next phases of RTD’s light rail project include Colfax Avenue alignment reconstruction, downtown loop midblock and Welton Street corridor improvements.

Last week, RTD General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson stopped by to talk about the project and what residents, motorists and riders can expect.

“You can tell just by the appearance we have to go underneath and pull everything out and basically reconstruct it,” Johnson, while visiting the site on Monday, told The Denver Gazette.

“We’re trying to capitalize on the investments that were made,” she said.

RTD’s CEO alluded to when the light rail was first built in October 1994, noting that it’s easier today to address what’s needed for light rail repairs.

The goal in 2025, Johnson said, is “the same thing that we have before: to ensure that everything is in a state of good repair, meaning that our railroad ties, concrete, the ballasts, that they are positioned in such a way to maintain the integrity of the network.”