I70 into Denver

[texaskdog]

In 2004 we made the drive down I-70 into Denver and loved the signs.  Would like to do that again in August, and we are going from Rocky Mtn National Park to Colorado Springs though Denver.  How far west do we have to hit I-70 to drive that whole section?

[Alps]

Use a map? This is a really generic question, you may want to specify which signs are of interest.

[Jim]

I don't have a good answer to the original question, but I am guessing it refers to the signs like this one:

[The High Plains Traveler]

In 2004 we made the drive down I-70 into Denver and loved the signs.  Would like to do that again in August, and we are going from Rocky Mtn National Park to Colorado Springs though Denver.  How far west do we have to hit I-70 to drive that whole section?

If you exit the west side of RMNP and take U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass, you will join I-70 at Empire, just east of Georgetown. You drop over 2000 feet from that point to the west edge of the Denver metro area.

[J N Winkler]

Someone really needs to "drive" this length in StreetView and record the sign messages--I am going to try to do this soonish.  California I-80 descending westbound out of the Sierras has similar signs too.

Edit:  I am going to attempt such a compilation.  (NB:  this message may be edited multiple times in order to keep messages in driving order.)

*  Ground-mounted, both sides of road, approach to Exit 254 (just downstream of 3/4-mile advance guide sign):  "STEEP DOWN GRADE - AND SHARP CURVES - 1 MILE AHEAD":

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=m&vpsrc=6&fll=39.709366,-105.286317&fspn=0.017036,0.038581&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=zi&split=1&ll=39.713855,-105.309362&spn=0.017034,0.038581&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.7139,-105.309577&panoid=IVbhtAD9s6jSeoK25hRjuw&cbp=12,114.3,,0,16.09

*  Bridge-mounted, Exit 256 overpass:  "WINDING 6% GRADE - STAY GEARED DOWN - NEXT 3 MILES":

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=k&vpsrc=6&fll=39.703394,-105.251496&fspn=0.00213,0.004823&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=p&split=1&ll=39.703891,-105.251246&spn=0.00213,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.703891,-105.251246&panoid=Epfrt2CtYy9wPjKtSXeitQ&cbp=12,95.17,,0,4.07

*  Ground-mounted, either side of roadway, just past Exit 256 overpass:  "RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP - RIGHT 3/4 MILE":

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=k&vpsrc=6&fll=39.703394,-105.251496&fspn=0.00213,0.004823&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=p&split=1&ll=39.703482,-105.2492&spn=0.00213,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.703482,-105.2492&panoid=wgZJ3bB5XIr2Hi-wDJ8Q7A&cbp=12,107.72,,0,7.14

*  Lane-drop sign for upcoming truck ramp (2000 feet), plus split speed limit signs (cars 55, trucks 35):

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=k&vpsrc=6&fll=39.702453,-105.245483&fspn=0.00213,0.004823&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=p&split=1&ll=39.702585,-105.245039&spn=0.00213,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.702585,-105.245039&panoid=gjNSwT9VkT08fTZuM9PDAQ&cbp=12,119.91,,0,3.61

*  Lane-drop sign (really an exit direction sign but formatted as an advance guide sign) for runaway truck ramp:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=k&vpsrc=6&fll=39.699981,-105.239711&fspn=0.00213,0.004823&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=p&split=1&ll=39.69972,-105.239263&spn=0.00213,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.69972,-105.239263&panoid=bnKNET_LVJK9hogTREDc8g&cbp=12,126.27,,0,5.27

*  "TRUCKERS YOU ARE NOT DOWN YET - ANOTHER 1 1/2 MILES OF STEEP GRADES - AND SHARP CURVES TO GO":

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=I-70+Denver&ie=UTF8&hq=I-70&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&t=k&vpsrc=6&fll=39.6984,-105.235972&fspn=0.00213,0.004823&st=111646503046861654954&rq=1&ev=p&split=1&ll=39.698243,-105.234541&spn=0.00213,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.698243,-105.234541&panoid=zsSGx-OXlFhRZA56l0Qpdw&cbp=12,94.1,,0,4.14

I seem to remember the difficult length being at least twice as long, with more "funny" signs, but I could not find any evidence of them after using satellite imagery to trace the route from (approximately) Exit 239 and StreetView from the start of the advance guide signing for Exit 251.

[mgk920]

On the right of that above BYS is a runaway truck ramp.

When I was out there in the mid-1990s, I was kind of disappointed that there was no funky 'congratulatory' sign of some sort at the bottom of that hill, only a very small, wimpy 'END TRUCK SPEED RESTRICTIONS' sign.



Mike

[usends]

In 2004 we made the drive down I-70 into Denver and loved the signs.  Would like to do that again in August, and we are going from Rocky Mtn National Park to Colorado Springs though Denver.  How far west do we have to hit I-70 to drive that whole section?

As HPT says, you'll join I-70 at Empire Jct, and heading east from there will allow you to see the entirety of your segment of interest.  The first sign that refers to the upcoming steep down grades is at the twin tunnels just east of Idaho Springs.

Someone really needs to "drive" this length in StreetView and record the sign messages--I am going to try to do this soonish.  California I-80 descending westbound out of the Sierras has similar signs too.
Edit:  I am going to attempt such a compilation.  (NB:  this message may be edited multiple times in order to keep messages in driving order.)

If it helps, I've got a webpage with clear photos of most of these signs:
http://usends.com/Explore/Truckers/index.html

[J N Winkler]

Someone really needs to "drive" this length in StreetView and record the sign messages--I am going to try to do this soonish.  California I-80 descending westbound out of the Sierras has similar signs too.

Edit:  I am going to attempt such a compilation.  (NB:  this message may be edited multiple times in order to keep messages in driving order.)

If it helps, I've got a webpage with clear photos of most of these signs:

http://usends.com/Explore/Truckers/index.html

Thank you--it does help.  Your page includes the advance warning signs posted 11 and 6 miles before the top of the grade, which I had vaguely remembered from driving the route in September 2002 but are hard to find using aerial imagery and tedious to chase down using StreetView to "drive" the route.

[texaskdog]

thanks to all of you!  Would love to see Boulder but don't want to miss taking the kids down this.
Post Merge:
and we're actually coming from Moab so we'll drive to the road 72 or 119 I guess and go north and just head south the same way
Post Merge:
and I've been to Dale's site a million times, including that page, so slap on the hand to me for not going there in the first place