Colorado

Started by mightyace, March 04, 2009, 01:20:28 PM

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zzcarp

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on March 12, 2021, 04:12:27 PM
I-25 expansion in northern Colorado update:

https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/03/11/cdot-seeks-condemnation-of-property-to-expand-i-25/

The service station on the west side of I-25 looks to be the most impacted by this.
So many miles and so many roads


zzcarp

CDOT is adding/extending passing lanes on US 287/US 40 on the eastern plains.

QuoteCHEYENNE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES – Beginning March 22, the Colorado Department of Transportation will begin work to add four new and two improved passing lanes between Hugo and the Cheyenne/Kiowa County line.

The route, which is part of a multi-state freight network to distribute goods throughout the nation, is heavily used by motorists as well as freight drivers delivering the area's agricultural products. The project is spread over approximately 70 miles with completion expected by December.

"This project will significantly improve safety on the corridor by providing much needed passing lanes on this heavily traveled freight corridor,"  said Regional Transportation Director Heather Paddock.

"Large trucks make up 40-60 percent of the traffic along the 287 corridor, causing long lines of traffic with little passing opportunities," Paddock said. "The passing lanes project will increase the safety and mobility of all users by providing safe and more frequent passing opportunities. This project will be adding four new passing lanes and extending two insufficient passing lanes."

Here is a map of the locations of the improvements:



So many miles and so many roads

JayhawkCO

https://theknow.denverpost.com/2021/04/01/colorado-denver-vail-micro-shuttle/255614/

Looks like CDOT is starting some 14-passenger vans hourly between Denver and Frisco, Vail, and Avon for what they say is skiers and hikers.  It sounds like a good idea for skiers for sure to help eliminate weekend I-70 traffic, but I don't understand how they're advertising this to hikers.  How do you get to the trailhead once they dump you off in town?

Chris

zzcarp

Quote from: jayhawkco on April 01, 2021, 11:46:51 AM
https://theknow.denverpost.com/2021/04/01/colorado-denver-vail-micro-shuttle/255614/

Looks like CDOT is starting some 14-passenger vans hourly between Denver and Frisco, Vail, and Avon for what they say is skiers and hikers.  It sounds like a good idea for skiers for sure to help eliminate weekend I-70 traffic, but I don't understand how they're advertising this to hikers.  How do you get to the trailhead once they dump you off in town?

Chris

It doesn't sound attractive for hiking to me. Are they going to drop us off at a trailhead an hour before sunrise so we can summit and be back down below treeline by noon? What about our dogs? Maybe for the trailheads right on I-70 like Herman Gulch or Officer's Gulch. Or for those who were dropped off and had a long backpacking hike.

It just seems like it's another instance of CDOT spending money on anything except roads.
So many miles and so many roads

JayhawkCO

Quote from: zzcarp on April 01, 2021, 01:45:10 PM
Quote from: jayhawkco on April 01, 2021, 11:46:51 AM
https://theknow.denverpost.com/2021/04/01/colorado-denver-vail-micro-shuttle/255614/

Looks like CDOT is starting some 14-passenger vans hourly between Denver and Frisco, Vail, and Avon for what they say is skiers and hikers.  It sounds like a good idea for skiers for sure to help eliminate weekend I-70 traffic, but I don't understand how they're advertising this to hikers.  How do you get to the trailhead once they dump you off in town?

Chris

It doesn't sound attractive for hiking to me. Are they going to drop us off at a trailhead an hour before sunrise so we can summit and be back down below treeline by noon? What about our dogs? Maybe for the trailheads right on I-70 like Herman Gulch or Officer's Gulch. Or for those who were dropped off and had a long backpacking hike.

It just seems like it's another instance of CDOT spending money on anything except roads.

And tolled express lanes.  Don't forget those.

Chris

andy3175

Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel Complex was closed this afternoon due to a suspicious device.

https://www.kdvr.com/news/local/westbound-i-70-closed-at-eisenhower-tunnel-due-to-police-situation/amp/

QuoteEmergency calls about a possible explosive device inside a car stopped off Interstate 70 on the west side of the Eisenhower Tunnel closed traffic on I-70 in both directions through the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel on Saturday afternoon.

Colorado State Patrol said the incident was being investigated on the westbound side of the highway outside the far end of the tunnel by troopers and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office bomb squad.

CSP advised to use Highway 6 over Loveland Pass as an alternate route.


SM-G975U

Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

andy3175

Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

tdindy88

Greetings from Colorado Springs! I'm on vacation out here in Colorado and have been spending the last few days exploring some of your roadways. I started in Denver and came down to Colo Springs and now I'm heading west through to Grand Junction before traveling I-70 back across to Denver over next week. I've done plenty of driving already including some of the I-70 corridor west to Vail before taking US 24 back to Colorado Springs and I didn't expect I-70 to be like it was. Roadway seemed a bit rough with plenty of potholes. I'm guessing the high altitude and extreme weather are the culprits here but I won't be complaining about Indiana's roads for a while after this trip. Even Indianapolis' streets aren't too bad now. I remember reading up this thread about CDOT spending money on things other than roads so I'm guessing there's funding issues. Sure enough I watched the news in Denver and I guess that there is some bill going through your statehouse that would improve the funding. The traffic around the state and in the Springs has been very busy but it is a holiday weekend so that is one reason. I'm guessing one poster from Tennessee would argue that the roads are fine and nothing needs widening in this state.

I drove I-25 from Denver to Colorado Springs and that roadway very much needs to be like eight lanes between the two cities (all the way.) If they want they can make the far left lane a toll lane and have three general purpose lanes. The last time I was in Colorado Springs was in 2007 and I remember I-25 being under construction. I was under an impression that they were rebuilding the whole road through the city from say Academy Blvd south to about US 24 east. I guess it was more of a piecemeal thing with various stretches being worked on at different times (the construction I remember seeing was up around Nevada Avenue and Woodman Road.) One stretch around Fillmore Street is three lanes but still looks to be in its original pavement. Still the majority of the roadway through the city appears well-built and is well used. I also drove south to Pueblo and it certainly seems that I-25 could be made three lanes a bit further south through Fountain as traffic was very heavy along that corridor.

I also drove along Powers Boulevard, a roadway that I take as the hypothetical beltway around eastern Colorado Springs. I read all the content about it on this thread so I know it's a long story about its state of being. I did have one question about Powers though, why are the exit numbers in the 100s for the few exits along that stretch. Since SH 21 starts there in Colorado Springs itself shouldn't the exit numbers be in the single digits and teens? Also, when driving along US 24 from Leadville south toward Buena Vista I saw the mile markers were much higher than they should be for a highway that just began as I-70. Did US 24 go further west at one time and the mile markers are just reflecting that?

US 89

Quote from: tdindy88 on May 30, 2021, 07:24:07 AM
Also, when driving along US 24 from Leadville south toward Buena Vista I saw the mile markers were much higher than they should be for a highway that just began as I-70. Did US 24 go further west at one time and the mile markers are just reflecting that?

Yep. US 24 once went all the way to Grand Junction, where it ended at US 50. US 6 didn’t exist that far west at the time, but soon after it was... but because Vail Pass didn’t exist yet, 6 went down SH 91 from Copper Mountain to Leadville and then followed 24 west. If I had to guess, that is probably why 24 wasn’t cut back when 6 got extended, because several miles of 6/24 would become regular 24 again after Vail Pass opened a few years later.

But even after that, the 6/24 overlap was kept between Minturn and Grand Junction, and I think that lasted all the way until I-70 was built. Even today if you look hard enough I think you can spot some references to “Hwy 6 & 24” on old street signs or business addresses.

Elm

Quote from: tdindy88 on May 30, 2021, 07:24:07 AMI drove I-25 from Denver to Colorado Springs and that roadway very much needs to be like eight lanes between the two cities (all the way.) If they want they can make the far left lane a toll lane and have three general purpose lanes.
Yeah, they definitely want some toll lanes up to the Denver metro there. Going through there, you'll have seen the construction between Castle Rock and Monument–that's setting up two general purpose lanes and one HOT lane each way (via the "I-25 South Gap" project). For the larger corridor, a 2019 PEL study related to that project recommended extending the HOT lanes north to C-470 and adding another lane in each direction from Hwy 105 (Monument) to C-470. It doesn't specify how that last lane would operate, unlike studies for, say C-470 (2 GPL + 2 toll) or I-25 north of Denver (3 GPL + 1 HOT), but there's also no reason to expect that to be built in the foreseeable future.

Quote from: tdindy88 on May 30, 2021, 07:24:07 AMThe last time I was in Colorado Springs was in 2007 and I remember I-25 being under construction. I was under an impression that they were rebuilding the whole road through the city from say Academy Blvd south to about US 24 east. I guess it was more of a piecemeal thing with various stretches being worked on at different times (the construction I remember seeing was up around Nevada Avenue and Woodman Road.) One stretch around Fillmore Street is three lanes but still looks to be in its original pavement. Still the majority of the roadway through the city appears well-built and is well used. I also drove south to Pueblo and it certainly seems that I-25 could be made three lanes a bit further south through Fountain as traffic was very heavy along that corridor.
There have been a lot of projects on I-25 in the Springs, but that was likely the "COSMIX" widening project, which was one of the largest batches of reconstruction in the area and affected Bijou-ish to North Academy. Since then, Woodmen to Hwy 105 was widened (the most recent major non-tolled widening in Colorado?), the Fillmore and Cimarron interchanges were rebuilt, and some kind of preparation is [mercifully] underway to add auxiliary lanes between Fillmore and Garden of the Gods, perhaps making it look more like nearby segments.

There's an environmental assessment behind those projects, where the eventual goal would be six lanes from South Academy to Hwy 105, then an additional lane from US 24 East (MLK Bypass) to Briargate, which would be rush hour HOV-only. It's a relatively old study and predates much of CDOT's managed lane work, so I wouldn't be surprised to see that evolve into more typical express lanes and cover a wider area. A segment of HOV lanes made it into the 10-Year Plan, though.

Quote from: tdindy88 on May 30, 2021, 07:24:07 AMI also drove along Powers Boulevard, a roadway that I take as the hypothetical beltway around eastern Colorado Springs. I read all the content about it on this thread so I know it's a long story about its state of being. I did have one question about Powers though, why are the exit numbers in the 100s for the few exits along that stretch. Since SH 21 starts there in Colorado Springs itself shouldn't the exit numbers be in the single digits and teens?
I don't know of any official word, but the working theory from this thread is that they're generally based on I-25 and allow for extending down through Fountain without risking running past zero ("near Pikes Peak International Raceway" is the usual endpoint).

Incidentally, El Paso County is starting up a new study of that extension this year; there's not much information, but this document does at least include the map from the old corridor study on the last page, as well as other background. Unfortunately, several Powers Boulevard studies took place in the late '90s and early 2000s, and they're not readily available online.

zzcarp

I-70 is once again closed in Glenwood Canyon, this time due to a mudslide. I suspect it's in or near the burn area from last year's fire. CDOT's posted 3-hour detour is US 40 to CO 13.

Pictures from the CDOT Facebook post:

One picture-looks localized so it  hopefully should be relatively simple to fix.
 

Detour route:

So many miles and so many roads

thenetwork

Quote from: zzcarp on June 26, 2021, 10:18:26 PM
I-70 is once again closed in Glenwood Canyon, this time due to a mudslide. I suspect it's in or near the burn area from last year's fire. CDOT's posted 3-hour detour is US 40 to CO 13.

Pictures from the CDOT Facebook post:

One picture-looks localized so it  hopefully should be relatively simple to fix.
 

Detour route:



According to the Colorado State Patrol, the road was reopened by late Saturday Night in both directions.  That being said, CDOT has and will close off all Rest Areas within Glenwood Canyon as a precaution whenever significant rain is in the forecast in addition to having crews on standby to close the roads and clear the interstate of debris.

Independence Pass (CO-82) is another detour route, but due to the narrowness and vehicle length restrictions, they don't wish to publicize it too much.


Kniwt

Quote from: thenetwork on June 27, 2021, 12:34:09 PM
According to the Colorado State Patrol, the road was reopened by late Saturday Night in both directions. 

Closed again: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/06/27/i70-closed-glenwood-springs/

QuoteA stretch of Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs is closed in both directions for the second day in a row on Sunday due to a land/mudslide.

US 89

Unfortunately, debris flows and slides like this are quite common in areas with recent burn scars from wildfire activity. I fully expect this to be a regular occurrence during monsoon season for a few years.

It could be worse, though - within the last 10 years or so, Utah has had at least two highway-adjacent burn scars that have produced flash floods and slides big enough to require substantial work on the road itself. Looks like this will mostly just amount to some mud and dirt washing onto the road every time a big enough thunderstorm hits the burn scar for a while.

thenetwork

Quote from: US 89 on June 28, 2021, 12:16:10 AM
Unfortunately, debris flows and slides like this are quite common in areas with recent burn scars from wildfire activity. I fully expect this to be a regular occurrence during monsoon season for a few years.

It could be worse, though - within the last 10 years or so, Utah has had at least two highway-adjacent burn scars that have produced flash floods and slides big enough to require substantial work on the road itself. Looks like this will mostly just amount to some mud and dirt washing onto the road every time a big enough thunderstorm hits the burn scar for a while.
Quote from: Kniwt on June 28, 2021, 12:03:53 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on June 27, 2021, 12:34:09 PM
According to the Colorado State Patrol, the road was reopened by late Saturday Night in both directions. 

Closed again: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/06/27/i70-closed-glenwood-springs/

QuoteA stretch of Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs is closed in both directions for the second day in a row on Sunday due to a land/mudslide.
Quote from: Kniwt on June 28, 2021, 12:03:53 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on June 27, 2021, 12:34:09 PM
According to the Colorado State Patrol, the road was reopened by late Saturday Night in both directions. 

Closed again: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/06/27/i70-closed-glenwood-springs/

QuoteA stretch of Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs is closed in both directions for the second day in a row on Sunday due to a land/mudslide.

During this 2nd closure (which has since reopened), the Primary Detour along US-40 was closed for a while due to a crash, the small-vehicles only alternate via CO-82 was closed because some stupid semi thought it was a good idea to traverse Independence Pass ‐‐ he got stuck and hopefully got fined big-time -- and US-50 to the south is closed between Montrose  and Gunnison due to long-term construction (CO-92 is the l-o-n-g, winding detour for US-50).

Not too many east-west Colorado options from the west part of the state to the Front Range and/or Divide.

zzcarp

Quote from: thenetwork on June 28, 2021, 08:56:57 PM

During this 2nd closure (which has since reopened), the Primary Detour along US-40 was closed for a while due to a crash, the small-vehicles only alternate via CO-82 was closed because some stupid semi thought it was a good idea to traverse Independence Pass ‐‐ he got stuck and hopefully got fined big-time -- and US-50 to the south is closed between Montrose  and Gunnison due to long-term construction (CO-92 is the l-o-n-g, winding detour for US-50).

Not too many east-west Colorado options from the west part of the state to the Front Range and/or Divide.

I-70 needs an alternate route as these mudslides are going to be common for years due to the fire. It's possible CDOT will have to build bridges and construct other mitigations to minimize the effects of these mudflows.

In my view, CDOT needs to bite the bullet, take over as a state highway the unpaved northerly Cottonwood Pass from Gypsum to Highway 82, and pave and upgrade it to allow semis. They could even sign it as US 6 as they do on Loveland Pass.

I would say upgrade Independence Pass, but I doubt the Aspenites would go for anything that would increase truck traffic (though, except for the 1.5 lane cliff shelf sections, it would be fairly easy to do).
So many miles and so many roads

JayhawkCO

Quote from: zzcarp on June 29, 2021, 09:58:42 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on June 28, 2021, 08:56:57 PM

During this 2nd closure (which has since reopened), the Primary Detour along US-40 was closed for a while due to a crash, the small-vehicles only alternate via CO-82 was closed because some stupid semi thought it was a good idea to traverse Independence Pass ‐‐ he got stuck and hopefully got fined big-time -- and US-50 to the south is closed between Montrose  and Gunnison due to long-term construction (CO-92 is the l-o-n-g, winding detour for US-50).

Not too many east-west Colorado options from the west part of the state to the Front Range and/or Divide.

I-70 needs an alternate route as these mudslides are going to be common for years due to the fire. It's possible CDOT will have to build bridges and construct other mitigations to minimize the effects of these mudflows.

In my view, CDOT needs to bite the bullet, take over as a state highway the unpaved northerly Cottonwood Pass from Gypsum to Highway 82, and pave and upgrade it to allow semis. They could even sign it as US 6 as they do on Loveland Pass.

I would say upgrade Independence Pass, but I doubt the Aspenites would go for anything that would increase truck traffic (though, except for the 1.5 lane cliff shelf sections, it would be fairly easy to do).

Ain't no NIMBY like an Aspenite NIMBY cuz an Aspenite NIMBY won't stop.

Chris

zzcarp

So many miles and so many roads

zachary_amaryllis

clinched:
I-64, I-80, I-76 (west), *64s in hampton roads, 225,270,180 (co, wy)

zzcarp

Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on July 21, 2021, 08:48:14 AM
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/dangerous-flooding-leads-to-evacuation-road-closures-in-larimer-county

I hope everything's okay with you and your family and there's no damage to your house.

The monsoon activity was pretty heavy all over the mountains yesterday. In addition to CO 14, I-70 was closed again in Glenwood Canyon for the eighth time this summer. Also, in a non-burn scar area, CO 133 was closed south of Carbondale due to a mudslide.
So many miles and so many roads

zachary_amaryllis

Quote from: zzcarp on July 21, 2021, 12:23:25 PM
Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on July 21, 2021, 08:48:14 AM
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/dangerous-flooding-leads-to-evacuation-road-closures-in-larimer-county

I hope everything's okay with you and your family and there's no damage to your house.

The monsoon activity was pretty heavy all over the mountains yesterday. In addition to CO 14, I-70 was closed again in Glenwood Canyon for the eighth time this summer. Also, in a non-burn scar area, CO 133 was closed south of Carbondale due to a mudslide.
we're good. i really didn't know anything about this until i went to drive home last night and was turned back at the bottom of the canyon. a camry is not a comfortable car to sleep in. further up-canyon from me, not so good. 1 dead, couple more missing.. and a similar weather setup for today.

eek.
clinched:
I-64, I-80, I-76 (west), *64s in hampton roads, 225,270,180 (co, wy)

thenetwork

Quote from: zzcarp on July 21, 2021, 12:23:25 PM
Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on July 21, 2021, 08:48:14 AM
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/dangerous-flooding-leads-to-evacuation-road-closures-in-larimer-county

I hope everything's okay with you and your family and there's no damage to your house.

The monsoon activity was pretty heavy all over the mountains yesterday. In addition to CO 14, I-70 was closed again in Glenwood Canyon for the eighth time this summer. Also, in a non-burn scar area, CO 133 was closed south of Carbondale due to a mudslide.

Heck, yesterday I was driving US-550/Million Dollar Highway during an intense hailstorm over Coal Bank and Molas Pass.  My traction control light kept coming on as there was a solid coating of white on the road.  Closest I've come to driving during a whiteout up there, but it was fun!

Elm

There's a new online meeting/questionnaire here for the Santa Fe Dr C-470 to I-25 PEL, now working on "corridor themes" with an emphasis on early action projects. (Main project site's here.)

The potential early action projects listed are closing the median at Crestline Ave, adding auxiliary lanes (Hampden to Florida, NB Vinewood to Bowles, and NB across Prince St), new sidewalks on Hampden/Dartmouth, and Little Dry Creek Trail wayfinding. The Hampden to Florida "auxiliary lanes" (which appear to cross Dartmouth and Evans) might be construed as a widening and seem sort of un-CDOT-like.

Aside from "Corridor Access Focus," the themes generally lean toward reducing direct access; they picture adding frontage roads in some areas, and they're fond of quadrant roads and channelized T intersections.

thenetwork

Now, with all the continued mudslide debris entering and damming up the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon, there is a new threat to I-70 -- structural damage to the freeway:

https://kdvr.com/news/local/on-going-problems-along-glenwood-canyon-mean-theres-potential-for-more-road-closures/

zzcarp

Looks like I-70 will be closed all weekend due to severe mudslides.

I can't seem to embed the video, and the linked video shows the enormity of the localized damage. It's going to take some time to get the road cleared, and we've got more monsoons forecast all weekend long.
So many miles and so many roads



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