Why South Hilltop's Side Streets Keep Closing One Block at a Time

E. Cedar Avenue closed last winter. S. Birch Street and the Bayaud Cycleway closed in spring, and Glencoe, Dakota and Ivy closed this fall. All of these closures come from one project. Xcel Energy is replacing the six-mile, 230-kilovolt Leetsdale-Monroe-Elati transmission line that runs under central and southeast Denver. It is installing a larger, more modern cable system to meet growing demand for electricity in the area.

The old line runs under Leetsdale Drive and Speer Boulevard. Xcel didn't rebuild it in place. It routed the replacement through residential streets, and that is why South Hilltop has been living with it one block at a time.

The Cable Left Leetsdale Drive on Purpose

According to Xcel's project page, the existing line sits mostly under Leetsdale Drive and Speer Boulevard, two heavily used roads. Xcel gives three reasons the replacement couldn't be built in the same place. Construction in heavy traffic raised safety concerns for the public and for crews. The old line has to stay energized while the new one goes in. And there isn't enough underground space for the new cable. Xcel's November 2025 open house boards say major collector and arterial roads were avoided to reduce long-term traffic disruptions and to comply with City and County of Denver guidelines and moratoriums.

Bike routes were also part of the routing study. In a question-and-answer document from its November 12, 2025 virtual open house, Xcel said it treated dedicated bike lanes as a routing constraint. It said it specifically works to avoid every bike lane the city has marked as dedicated.

With arterials and dedicated bike lanes ruled out, the route runs through residential blocks like South Hilltop's. In the Hilltop Neighborhood Association's overview of the project, the board wrote that the work directly affects residents of South Hilltop. It also said everyone in Hilltop should expect intermittent street and sidewalk closures, detours and excavation noise.

The work uses the open trench method. Crews cut and remove the street pavement, dig a trench, and set the cable and precast vaults inside it.

A Year of Closures on the Neighborhood Grid

Phase 1 runs between the Leetsdale and Monroe substations, and Xcel scheduled major construction to start in November 2025. In that same Q&A, Xcel listed the Phase 1 streets that would see temporary closures: East Ellsworth Avenue, South Birch Street, East Cedar Avenue, South Glencoe Street, East Dakota Avenue, South Ivy Street, East Virginia Avenue and South Jersey Street. Over the past year those closures have moved across the grid:

1. February 2026. The Hilltop Neighborhood Association's February newsletter reported E. Cedar Avenue closed between S. Elm Street and S. Dahlia Street through the end of February, based on Xcel's update at the time.
2. May 1, 2026. The association's update listed S. Birch Street closing between E. Cedar Avenue and E. Ellsworth Avenue, including the Birch and Bayaud intersection. It also listed E. Bayaud Avenue closing between S. Clermont Street and S. Bellaire Street, the stretch known as the Bayaud Cycleway.
3. October 15 to 29, 2026. Xcel's schedule listed E. Bayaud Avenue closed again between S. Clermont Street and S. Bellaire Street.
4. Late October into November 2026. Work moved to the Glencoe, Fairfax, Holly and Ivy blocks around Alameda, as shown in the schedule below.

Each closure has been short, and there have been many of them. Xcel's Q&A says the average closure lasts one to three weeks. Phase 1 is scheduled to run from November 2025 into spring 2027.

What the October 29 Schedule Shows

Here are the Phase 1 closures from Xcel's most recent schedule, posted October 29, 2026 at 10 a.m.

Xcel says the schedule can change because of weather, the availability of materials or resources, and underground obstacles found during digging. It asks people in affected areas to check back every week. The dates in the table were the plan as of October 29. The project page has the current list.

How a Closure Week Runs

Most of the closures cover a full block, and the reason is engineering. Xcel's Q&A explains:

"Vault locations are dependent on the layout of existing underground utilities within the road right-of-way... we cannot guarantee placement of the vault will be on one side of the road. For this reason, we do plan to temporally close the road from both directions for the entire block."

The same answer says every block has its own traffic plan, with work consolidated after business hours so people can drive to their homes as they come and go each day. For homes directly on the line, including garages that open onto a project street, Xcel says it works block by block to keep its footprint small. Daytime access may be affected, but the team aims to keep access clear outside construction hours.

A typical closure follows the same steps:

• Notice. Xcel plans to put door hangers on homes and businesses next to a closure three to five business days before work starts. Crews from BT Construction plan to knock on doors before starting on each block.
• Start time. Crews arrive around 7:30 a.m. and plan to start machinery shortly after. The Q&A notes that the City of Denver allows work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with work after 5 p.m. reserved for special cases. The project page lists crew hours as Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It adds that some situations may call for evening, night or Sunday work.
• Trash day. Xcel says it is working with Denver Waste Collection so pickup isn't disrupted. Crews may move bins to one side of the street for the truck and help return them afterward.
• Paving. Milling and paving are expected to happen together, with paving following milling as the work moves along. During milling, one travel lane is expected to stay open with flaggers. Paving requires a full closure, because new asphalt has to cool before cars can drive on it. Driveway access is restricted until crews say it's safe.

On fresh asphalt, Xcel asks residents to keep cars, bikes, feet, trash bins and anything else off the new surface until construction staff say it's ready to use.

The EV Charger Problem, and Xcel's Answer

A closure that blocks a driveway can also block access to a home EV charger. For residents whose usual charging spot is blocked by project construction, Xcel now runs a mobile EV charging pilot. It asks for seven days' notice when possible to place the charging unit, though shorter-notice requests may be possible depending on site conditions and equipment. Participants sign a waiver before using the unit. The program notice and waiver are on the project site. Requests go to the project team at 303-716-8990 or [email protected].

The seven-day request matches the door-hanger notice, which comes three to five business days ahead of work. Asking as soon as a closure appears on the weekly schedule gives the team the most lead time.

West of Colorado Boulevard, Phase 2 Is Underway

Phase 1 is the part that runs through Hilltop's streets. On drives toward Cherry Creek, Hilltop residents also run into Phase 2, which runs from the Monroe substation to the Elati substation. Xcel lists Phase 2 from August 2026 to spring 2028. The October 29 schedule showed these Phase 2 closures:

• E. 4th Avenue between Fillmore Street and Clayton Street, including the Detroit intersection, October 19 to November 6
• Monroe Street between E. 1st Avenue and E. 3rd Avenue, including the 2nd Avenue intersection, October 19 to November 16
• E. 1st Avenue between Cook Street and Harrison Street, November 2 to November 6

At the November 2025 open house, Xcel said it was still evaluating underground utilities to set the Phase 2 alignment. It said it would notify people along the route before construction if the route changed. The same Q&A covers the 5280 Trail. Xcel says it is coordinating with that project's manager, and that if its underground work ever disturbs the trail, it will restore the trail and surrounding area to preconstruction condition.

According to Xcel's timeline, public outreach continues through 2028 and the new line goes into service in 2028. Until then, the weekly construction notice is the most reliable way to know which block is next. Residents can sign up by emailing [email protected]. Questions and comments go to the same address, to 303-716-8990, or through the comment form on the project page.

If you're planning a sale, a renovation or a move on one of these South Hilltop blocks over the next few months, timing it around the trench schedule is part of the plan. Trish & Maggie Team is glad to help you schedule photography, showings and moving days around the closures. Let's Connect.