DENVER — A delay on resurfacing Speer Boulevard means drivers will have to battle more traffic into next week.

The milling and paving of the boulevard started on July 22. Recent rain is to blame for the project lasting longer than expected, according to Denver Public Works.

Speer Boulevard is one of the most well-travel roadways in Denver.

The current roadwork near the Auraria campus has been creating longer commutes for drivers.

“Instead of it being a half an hour, it takes me sometimes an hour and a half to get home,” said driver Adrienne Cobbs.

The work is not only taking a toll on commutes but also on cars. Cobbs says uneven pavement and a manhole on Speer Bridge has negatively impacted her car’s alignment.

“You can’t avoid [the hard edge] because … it’s across all the lanes and you just hit it,” Cobbs said. “It sounds like your car is falling apart when you hit it.”

The stretch of Speer– skirting LoDo, the Pepsi Center and the Auraria campus — is just one of multiple summer road projects approved by Denver voters in 2017.

“This is a pretty big resurfacing project,” said Heather Burke with Denver Public Works.

Burke says crews have been working to minimize impacts on drivers. Crews have been paving outbound lanes during the morning commutes and inbound lanes during the evening commutes.

“We understand this can be frustrating,” Burke said. “A lot of people travel on Speer, but really you’re going to be happy with it when it’s done.”

Drivers are encouraged to pay extra attention along Speer and travel slower than usual. Denver says the new asphalt should last 12 to 15 years.

The construction delay is expected to extend the current project by a couple of days. The city says work should be complete by early next week.