DENVER (AP) — A bill to accelerate the construction of high-speed broadband internet service in hard-to-reach Colorado areas is on its way to the governor's desk — one designed to bridge the economic divide between rural and urban parts of the state.

By a 29-6 vote, Colorado's Senate on Tuesday passed House amendments to the bill , long a top priority for legislators from both parties as well as Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper. For years, advocates have maintained that the state's eastern plains, western slope and many mountain towns have missed out on the state's economic boom becaus...