Northwest Parkway


Northwest Parkway is a limited-access toll road that runs from US 36 to the I-25/E-470 interchange. Both termini are in Broomfield, northwest of Denver. In combination with E-470 and State Highway 470, Northwest Parkway forms a partial beltway of approximately around the Denver metropolitan area. Some lie between the west end of Northwest Parkway and the northwest end of SH 470, the opposite end of the beltway.
Northwest Parkway was funded entirely with private money and charges a $5.20 toll. Tolls may be paid using highway-speed electronic tolling.

Route description

Northwest Parkway begins in Broomfield as a continuation of E-470 westward. Following a stack interchange with I-25, the parkway crosses Huron Street, surrounded by open fields. After intersecting Sheridan Parkway, the route passes a small pond, followed by an underpass with Lowell Boulevard. Near Dillon Road, the parkway interchanges with US 287 in Lafayette before reentering Broomfield near the end of the toll portion at 96th Street. The parkway continues untolled for before terminating at an interchange with US 36, becoming Interlocken Loop.

Tolls

Tolls on Northwest Parkway are charged based on a barrier toll system. It costs two-axle vehicles $5.20 for the barrier on the mainline gantry and $1.70 for the ramp gantries. ExpressToll and Go-Pass users do not pay processing fees, late fees, or any other fees in addition to the toll amount.

History

Northwest Parkway opened to the public in November 2003. In November 2005, a new intersection opened at Sheridan Boulevard in northern Broomfield. In August 2001, the cities of Westminster and Arvada put into motion the completion of an extension of Northwest Parkway, sometimes termed W-470, to connect to SH 470, I-70, and US 6 in Golden. The city of Golden struck down the proposal, but, in a compromise with the Colorado Department of Transportation, an environmental impact statement was completed. Most likely, Indiana Street and SH 93 would be used to complete the beltway. In October 2025, Northwest Parkway adopted a new official logo as part of a rebranding effort that emphasized sustainability, including a clear leaning towards solar energy initiatives.

Transition to Foreign Private Operation

In 2007, the board of directors of Northwest Parkway agreed to lease the operations of the highway to a consortium for 99 years. The two companies of the consortium are Brisa – Auto-estradas de Portugal and CCR S.A. According to the Boulder Daily Camera, this was the fourth time in two years that operations of an existing toll road in the US had been turned over to a private company under a long-term lease.
Northwest Parkway had been consistently generating less income than envisioned when it was funded by three local governments—Broomfield, Lafayette, and Weld County. The parkway was built with $416.4 million in bonds, to be paid back with toll revenue over 35 years. Due to the road's underuse, the bond debt was downgraded in 2006. Use in 2007 was 12,000 cars per day, well below the 18,500 expected by 2004, one year after opening.
In 2024, VINCI Highways completed the acquisition of 100% of NWP HoldCo LLC, the company operating Northwest Parkway, for approximately $1.2 billion. The concession, which runs through 2106, provides a framework for toll revenue and operational management. The agreement was signed in February and financially closed in April 2024, and is VINCI’s first major infrastructure investment in the United States within an established regulatory and traffic environment.