Visit to CO, NM, UT

[Truvelo]

Last week I flew into Denver and went to Albuquerque and Farmington. The following are just a handful of the 100's of pictures I took.

This is US-285 north of Fairplay. I wonder if deer are a problem here. The deer graphic isn't the normal leaping deer type. There's also a flashing light on the top. The Camaro was a rental for the week which had just 1500 miles on the clock when I picked it up. I had more than doubled the mileage when it went back.


This is further along 285 approaching Buena Vista. Even though the temperature was absolutely boiling with some records being broken during my stay the tops of the mountains in the distance still have snow on them.


US-64 Carson National Forest. Another weather related picture here with the broadleaved trees having very pale leaves which suggests they have only recently grown. The leaves on trees back home were at this stage a month ago.


I-25 Denver at around 5pm with all 6 lanes heading out of town completely solid with traffic. What next - widen it to give 7 lanes each way or add C/D roads?


US-64 Carson National Forest. Not a single car to be seen. When I stopped for a break there were gaps of over a minute between traffic passing. I could easily have booted it along here in the Camaro but I wanted to admire the scenery instead.


US-550 between Albuquerque and Farmington. The whole area was at least a mile above sea level. I think this was one of the highest sections. For comparison the highest peak in the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland with an elevation of just 4409 feet.


Because Utah was so close I strayed over the state line to grab this picture and turned back.

[J N Winkler]

This is US-285 north of Fairplay. I wonder if deer are a problem here. The deer graphic isn't the normal leaping deer type. There's also a flashing light on the top. The Camaro was a rental for the week which had just 1500 miles on the clock when I picked it up. I had more than doubled the mileage when it went back.

That is not a deer warning sign.  It is, in fact, an elk warning sign, with the symbol Arizona DOT has traditionally used (which I think has now been incorporated into the 2009 MUTCD).  Elk are a more serious problem than deer because they are heavier and their racks are at just the right height to pierce the windshield and impale the driver and front-seat passenger.

US-64 Carson National Forest. Not a single car to be seen.[/i] When I stopped for a break there were gaps of over a minute between traffic passing. I could easily have booted it along here in the Camaro but I wanted to admire the scenery instead.

(My bold and italics.)  Situations like this are the main reason I think it is a waste for Europeans to cross the Atlantic with the intention of clinching Interstates.  Especially in the middle of the country, there are many rural two-lane primary state highways (often with 40' paved cross-sections, which are much rarer in Europe) which carry less traffic than single-track country lanes in Britain.

[froggie]

You took several roads that Meaghan and I were on back during our 2005 vacation...US 550, US 64, US 160, and CO 41/UT 162, though it looks like you were heading the opposite direction of what we were.

[Truvelo]

You took several roads that Meaghan and I were on back during our 2005 vacation...

The first picture of yours I looked at was on US-550 at Cuba and I instantly recognised it as a location I remembered driving through. I've shown it below next to mine looks like Froggie's picture has gone. In five years there's been a number of subtle changes including:
- 126 sign now has JCT above instead of an arrow
- new 126 sign in the distance with arrow below
- new yellow pedestrian crossing sign
- weeds on sidewalk next to the church have been cleared
- blue gas station in the distance is now red
- I suspect the gas prices have also changed increased

[Truvelo]

Here's a few more pictures.

US-285 looking west @ the 470 cloverleaf.


US-285 roughly half way between Denver and Fairplay.


US-285 east of Buena Vista. There was a large rock towering over the road which provided a good vantage point for this shot.


Johnson Village on US-285 is just a collection of a few gas stations and restaurants but the road is a full 4-lanes with center left turn lane.


Route 17 north of Alamosa is one of the most straightest and featureless roads I've ever driven. The picture gives a false impression of distance as the horizon appears close but it takes several minutes to reach and then another horizon appears miles away. It seems like you're going nowhere.


US-285 at the CO, NM state line. I managed to find somewhere with both state signs visible together.


This was one of the last pictures I took. Despite it being the evening rush hour traffic on I-225 flowed well with just a minor delay where the lane drops near S Parker Road.

[froggie]

looks like Froggie's picture has gone.

I have hotlinking from my site disabled.  That's why you couldn't [ img ] my photo.

[Truvelo]

Situations like this are the main reason I think it is a waste for Europeans to cross the Atlantic with the intention of clinching Interstates.  Especially in the middle of the country, there are many rural two-lane primary state highways (often with 40' paved cross-sections, which are much rarer in Europe) which carry less traffic than single-track country lanes in Britain.

Exactly. I know where I'd rather be out of the these two pictures. A lot of two lane roads seem to be rather over-specified with full size shoulders. The example below, however, is very typical of the cross section of such a road in the UK with only a foot or two of pavement beyond the edge lines. The 100 foot right of way on either side is unheard of in the UK and I don't see the point of it on this road, Colorado 41, as traffic flows would never justify a 10 lane freeway which would easily fit inside such a width.

[Brandon]

Situations like this are the main reason I think it is a waste for Europeans to cross the Atlantic with the intention of clinching Interstates.  Especially in the middle of the country, there are many rural two-lane primary state highways (often with 40' paved cross-sections, which are much rarer in Europe) which carry less traffic than single-track country lanes in Britain.

Exactly. I know where I'd rather be out of the these two pictures. A lot of two lane roads seem to be rather over-specified with full size shoulders. The example below, however, is very typical of the cross section of such a road in the UK with only a foot or two of pavement beyond the edge lines. The 100 foot right of way on either side is unheard of in the UK and I don't see the point of it on this road, Colorado 41, as traffic flows would never justify a 10 lane freeway which would easily fit inside such a width.

ROWs of 100ft are rather common however.  In urban areas and many rural areas, many streets and roads have a ROW of 66ft as well.  These have less to do with traffic than they do with surveying.  The typical 66ft ROW is due to that being one chain's length.  Ditto for a 16-1/2ft wide alley (one rod).