Company plans to build hyperloop test track east of Denver

Friday, November 10, 2017, Vol. 41, No. 45

DENVER (AP) — Colorado transportation officials have partnered with a company to explore the possibility of building a futuristic system that would move passengers and freight at speeds of up to 200 mph.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says Los Angeles-based Arrivo plans to build a test track for the "hyperloop-inspired" system next year along the E-470 Toll Highway east of Denver.

Hyperloop systems move magnetically lifted pods through tubes, which reduce aerodynamic drag.

CDOT spokeswoman Amy Ford says the department is partnering with Arrivo to determine if the system will work in Colorado.

Colorado also has been named one of 10 global finalists by the Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One for a similar system that would move pods at speeds of nearly 700 mph. The proposed route would connect Denver to Pueblo, Vail and Cheyenne, Wyoming.