Bottlenecks and outdated intersections/interchanges in Denver Metro.

Started by nengleman, April 14, 2014, 02:43:10 PM

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nengleman

What are some of the worst traffic spots in Denver Metro?


brad2971

Quote from: nengleman on April 14, 2014, 02:43:10 PM
What are some of the worst traffic spots in Denver Metro?

E. Evans Ave, from Colorado Blvd to I-25. Standstill around 4-5 PM, enough to cause backups on Colo. Blvd.

E. Hampden Ave, from Colorado Blvd to I-25. WB land drops off 600 ft. from the I-25 interchange, and it would be a very costly fix to add that lane back.

usends

Wow, this list could be endless.  Here are a few that get on my nerves:

  • I-225 is four lanes heading south from Parker Rd, but by the time it gets to I-25, it's been necked down to only two lanes.
  • The I-25/6th Av. interchange, particularly eastbound US 6 to southbound 25.
  • Southbound I-25 to westbound C-470 (it necks down to two lanes too quickly).
I assume you have your own reason(s) for asking the question?
usends.com - US highway endpoints, photos, maps, and history

nengleman

Quote from: usends on April 14, 2014, 11:23:24 PM
I assume you have your own reason(s) for asking the question?

Ya.

1. I moved to Denver from Chicago 8 months ago and I am just trying to figure out what are some of the worst traffic spots are around here. I can think of a good chunk of them on the highways but I am not sure about grade level roads.

2. I am trying to create some GIS Maps/Shapefiles about the traffic woahs In Denver. I am just trying to stay up to date on my GIS skills.

Quote from: brad2971 on April 14, 2014, 07:42:29 PME. Evans Ave, from Colorado Blvd to I-25. Standstill around 4-5 PM, enough to cause backups on Colo. Blvd.

E. Hampden Ave, from Colorado Blvd to I-25. WB land drops off 600 ft. from the I-25 interchange, and it would be a very costly fix to add that lane back.

I have been getting so much on Colorado Blvd. I am so glad I never have a reason to take that road.

froggie

Quote2. I am trying to create some GIS Maps/Shapefiles about the traffic woahs In Denver. I am just trying to stay up to date on my GIS skills.

I'd be interested in viewing these once you're finished, even the raw shapefiles. (I have ArcGIS at home)

The High Plains Traveler

I belong to a professional organization that has 6:00 dinner meetings downtown Denver. So, I vote for I-25 Tech Center to downtown. I had hopes for NB I-25 after completion of the reconstruction of the Santa Fe interchange, but they threw in a right lane drop and pretty much kept the bottleneck intact.
"Tongue-tied and twisted; just an earth-bound misfit, I."

Zmapper

Because Denver is to the south of where I live, I don't have that much exposure with rush-hour freeway conditions south of Downtown. However, I-25 normally is congested southbound in the mornings from just north of 120th Ave to US 36, and from US 36 to 104th northbound in the evenings. US 36 is typically congested in both directions, but I don't use US 36 often enough to note where the congestion is most prevalent.

Milepost61

Quote from: usends on April 14, 2014, 11:23:24 PM
Wow, this list could be endless.  Here are a few that get on my nerves:

  • I-225 is four lanes heading south from Parker Rd, but by the time it gets to I-25, it's been necked down to only two lanes.
  • The I-25/6th Av. interchange, particularly eastbound US 6 to southbound 25.
  • Southbound I-25 to westbound C-470 (it necks down to two lanes too quickly).
...

For the chronic problems areas, yes those three and I would add I-25 from 120th to US 36, I-270 and the I-70 viaduct. Any rush hour traffic report will include some combination of those 6.

thenetwork

If I were CDOT, I would seriously start thinking of widening I-270 to 3 lanes in each direction as soon as possible, as well as I-76 from I-270 to I-70 to 3 lanes in each direction.  There is midday gridlock on I-270 as it is now as many use that as an alternative to bypass the gridlock on the I-70 viaduct east of I-25.  Once they start to rebuild that section in a few years, there needs to be additional lanes already in place for the I-70 construction alternate route along I-76 and I-270.

mrose

1. Absolutely the worst, and still champion: I-25 northbound, between Colorado Blvd. and Colfax Ave. An absolutely huge rebuild has just been completed and doesn't seem to have made any difference. The only good thing done here is they got rid of the left merge, but the right merge is worse, and they still drop a lane for a short distance.

2. (Afternoon) I-25 northbound, between 70th Ave and 104th Ave... an extra lane is supposed to be coming north of the US 36 split

3. (Morning) I-25 southbound, between 20th St and Colfax Ave

4. I-270 pretty much all day, in both directions, especially east of Vasquez

5. (Morning) I-25 southbound between 120th Ave and US 36... partially caused by slow trucks moving into the left lanes to take the left exit for I-270



The High Plains Traveler

I haven't been there to verify this, but apparently the total closure of I-25 between Santa Fe and U.S. 6 this last weekend was to extend the fourth lane on the right northbound from its current end to U.S. 6. That was a bottleneck, so it will be interesting to see if extending that lane to a point where it might logically exit helps the northbound flow.
"Tongue-tied and twisted; just an earth-bound misfit, I."

mrose

I hope that's what they are doing because that entire clusterf-ck of a reconstruction would be pointless without having a fourth lane through that segment.

Milepost61

Yes, the fourth northbound lane now goes through the Santa Fe interchange. Good for I-25 traffic, not so good for people coming on from Santa Fe since their formerly continuous lane now ends.

The ultimate fix is still a ways off and involves moving the UP/BNSF mainline to the east, so will not be an easy or cheap project.

will_e_777

Quote from: nengleman on April 14, 2014, 02:43:10 PM
What are some of the worst traffic spots in Denver Metro?

Leetsdale between Alameda and Mississippi.  Most noticeable at rush hours.  Traffic coming off of Mississippi and Parker Road from Aurora and only the two narrow through lanes.  All the people making lefts across the traffic into businesses and side streets.  (not to mention GW HS being right there) Even just some kind of barrier preventing the lefts except only at a signals or other few spots would help.
Rocky Mountain man.

Mark68

Quote from: Milepost61 on August 14, 2014, 11:43:29 PM
Yes, the fourth northbound lane now goes through the Santa Fe interchange. Good for I-25 traffic, not so good for people coming on from Santa Fe since their formerly continuous lane now ends.

The ultimate fix is still a ways off and involves moving the UP/BNSF mainline to the east, so will not be an easy or cheap project.

Bumping because I haven't been on for a while.  :-|

Yeah, I pass by this area on the light rail daily, and it doesn't seem to matter what time of day, the new flyover ramp from NB Santa Fe to NB I-25 is always a parking lot.

This will never be solved until something can be done to the railroad tracks just to the east of and parallel to I-25 north of Alameda. The configuration of the onramp to NB I-25 from Alameda and the Santa Fe/Kalamath couplet needs to change.

<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m12!1m3!1d12193.99903869466!2d-104.99598982597021!3d39.70880862570072!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1432094651195" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0"></iframe>

The whole stretch between Santa Fe and Colfax has to somehow be upgraded. The new interchange at 6th is just a start.

I will also concur with the poster who indicated Evans between Colorado and I-25 and will add that bottleneck extends east to past Iliff/Quebec eastbound in the evening rush hour.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."~Yogi Berra

mrose

The first phase of US 36 express lanes project is now open, from I-25 to Louisville, and the lanes are free to use until July. They will then become HOT lanes (free for 2+ passengers until 2017, then it will become 3+). The remaining segment to Boulder will open in 2016.

The express lanes on I-25 are being extended north to 120th Ave; this is supposed to be finished later in the year.

As both of these are in my neck of the woods, I'm looking forward to some relief in these areas.

Alps

Having now been through the area - when is I-270 going to be widened? It looks like isolated sections have already been widened (e.g. bridges are built to accommodate more lanes). Traffic on a Friday afternoon was stopped for the length of 270 - I got out on 76 WB and 270 was still backed up, presumably into US 36. The HOT lane will help, but I predict the ending merge will cause problems. The Denver-Boulder Tpk. got quite heavy at the west end on a Friday morning, both along the last exit ramp and approaching the first mainline signal or two. I think the problem is that Boulder needs more connectivity. Is there room, and are there any long-range plans, to upgrade the C-93 corridor north of C-470?

thenetwork

Quote from: Alps on May 31, 2015, 12:24:51 PM
Having now been through the area - when is I-270 going to be widened? It looks like isolated sections have already been widened (e.g. bridges are built to accommodate more lanes).

If C-DOT is smart, they should widen I-270 before they break ground on the I-70 viaduct replacement.  Denver needs to have a free-flowing East-West alternate route in place when the I-70 project gets underway (using I-225 to I-25 (and possibly C-470) back to I-70 is one long alternate route).  I-270 can be backed up nearly any time during the day in either direction -- adding more traffic trying to avoid I-70 between I-25 and the old airport area is gonna create even more gridlock than they have already. 

We'll just have to wait and see.

mrose

270 really should be six lanes..... they also need to improve some very tight cloverleaf ramps at Colorado Blvd; the merges there are a nightmare, especially westbound. The whole thing apart from the last little bit from 76 to 25 (built decades later than the rest) is woefully substandard and under capacity.

Milepost61

I'm not aware of any immediate plans to do anything major to I-270.

sandwalk

Quote from: usends on April 14, 2014, 11:23:24 PM
I-225 is four lanes heading south from Parker Rd, but by the time it gets to I-25, it's been necked down to only two lanes

An additional lane will be added to the shoulder, and access to I-25 southbound will be restricted from the Yosemite Street & DTC Boulevard on ramps. This should be completed around Thanksgiving.

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/10/11/cdot-to-fix-one-of-the-worst-bottlenecks-in-metro.html?ana=twt&ed=2017-10-11&j=78976341&s=article_du&t=1507757050

I don't know....seems like it's slapping lipstick on a pig. At least they are trying something, I suppose (and saving money).

mrose

Since the express lanes opened on I-25 north, things are improved from US 36 through to 104th..... it still gets heavy but rarely does it completely stop like it used to.

Southbound is still a mess but they are still working on the area from 144th down to 120th; the on-ramp at 120th is a disaster as well as some terrible wheel-swallowing ruts on I-25 right through that point. When the express lanes are done up to 144th it should be smooth.

The bigger issues in north Denver these days is all the arterial construction going on in Westminster....Sheridan, 104th, 92nd around the old mall, etc..

dvferyance

The I-70 and E-470 interchange. Still just one direct movement.

sandwalk

Quote from: dvferyance on December 29, 2017, 07:05:32 PM
The I-70 and E-470 interchange. Still just one direct movement.

That's a fun set-up. It reminds me of the I-71 / US-35 kind-of-interchange in Ohio. https://goo.gl/maps/YSJbaHJ7Zum

sandwalk

As for bottlenecks, there are plenty. But on my daily commute, Parker Road takes the cake (esp. between Chambers Road and Arapahoe Road).

Edit for link: https://goo.gl/maps/xtjCqVxCXWk



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