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). - 04/22/2017

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

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 distant community of Roggen and the Front Range appear in this vista along Interstate 76 west in Weld County - 04/22/2017

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.

Section	Date	Length
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

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Page Updated Tuesday January 12, 2021.

Interstate 76

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