Interstate 76

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Interstate 76 curves northeast around the periphery of Bijou Flats to the west of Fort Morgan. Business Loop I-76/U.S. 34 split with the freeway east into Fort Morgan along this stretch. 2015 traffic counts along this stretch topped out at 16,000 vehicles per day (vpd). 04/22/17

Traveling 184.135 miles in Colorado, the western Interstate 76 angles northeast from Denver to Fort Morgan and Julesburg. A short extension into Nebraska joins the freeway with transcontinental Interstate 80 east to Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska.

Passing through the eastern plains of the state, Interstate 76 serves the communities of Fort Morgan, Sterling and Julesburg along the banks of the South Platte River. Although it is very wide river, the South Platte is not very deep. As a result, it is not commercially navigable, which is typical of many western rivers. However, the Interstate 76 corridor through the South Platte River valley has grown nonetheless.

Interstate 76 Colorado Guides

East

West

Business Routes

The distant community of Roggen and the Front Range appear in this vista along Interstate 76 west in Weld County. 04/22/17

Construction on what was originally designated as Interstate 80S began in August of 1958. The route was renumbered to Interstate 76 on January 1, 1976. The change resulted in the replacement of 488 signs according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). For more information on the history of Interstate 76, visit CDOT 50th Anniversary of the Interstate Highway System.

The following chart shows the dates on which each section of Interstate 76 was opened, from the western terminus in Denver to the Nebraska State Line.

Description Date Distance (Approximate)
From Interstate 70 and SH 121 (Wadsworth Boulevard) east to SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard) December 3, 1985 1.6 miles
From SH 95 (Sheridan Boulevard) to U.S. 287 (Federal Boulevard) November 5, 1987 1.4 miles
From U.S. 287 (Federal Boulevard) to Pecos Street November 1, 1989 1 mile
From Pecos Street east to Interstate 25/U.S. 87 September 15, 1993 1 mile
From Interstate 25/U.S. 87 east to U.S. 85 (Greeley Highway) October 11, 1968 4 miles
From U.S. 85 (Greeley Highway) to Barr Lake 1966 7 miles
From Barr Lake to Hudson 1966 12 miles
From Hudson to Wiggins 1966 35 miles
Conversion of U.S. 6 on segment near Wiggins into Interstate standards 1977 8 miles
From Wiggins to Fort Morgan 1966 9 miles
From Fort Morgan to Sterling 1966 50 miles
From Sterling northeast to Crook 1966 24 miles
From Crook east to Sedgwick 1970 15 miles
From Sedgwick east to Julesburg October 24, 1970 15 miles
From Julesburg east to Nebraska State Line December 1969 4 miles



    Connect with:
    Interstate 25
    Interstate 70
    Interstate 270
    U.S. 6
    U.S. 85
    State Highway 2

    Page Updated 01-12-2021.

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