| Interstate 70 East
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| This Interstate 70 Colorado shield is posted along eastbound immediately after the Harlan Street interchange, just prior to the Colorado 95/Sheridan Boulevard grade separation. The next exit is Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287/Federal Boulevard. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| U.S. 287 is a major north-south route, serving most communities on the Front Range between Denver and Fort Collins, including Westminster, Lafayette, Longmont, Berthoud, and Loveland. Through Denver, the route follows Federal Boulevard north of Colfax Avenue (U.S. 40/Business Loop I-70), then turns east onto Colfax Avenue, joining Interstate 70 at Exit 288. U.S. 40-287 split off Interstate 70 in Limon, traveling southeast to Kit Carson, where U.S. 287 resumes its southerly route toward Lamar. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along eastbound Interstate 70 are Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287/Federal Boulevard; Exit 273, Pecos Street; and Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25/U.S. 6-85-87 (the "Mousetrap" interchange). Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287/Federal Boulevard. The next exit is Exit 273, Pecos Street. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| In addition to connecting to southbound Interstate 25, this exit ramp also connects Interstate 70 back to U.S. 6 westbound and U.S. 85-87 southbound. These U.S. routes are not mentioned on any Mousetrap guide signs, even though there are sporadic shields for these routes on both the Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 mainlines. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along eastbound Interstate 70 are Exit 273, Pecos Street; Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25/U.S. 6-85-87 (the "Mousetrap" interchange); and Exit 275, Junction Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 273, Pecos Street. Pecos Street parallels Interstate 25, and it travels north into unincorporated Adams County. To the south, Pecos Street joins 33rd Avenue and Osage Street to cross Interstate 25 and enter downtown Denver via 20th Street, which passes close to Coors Field (home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies). Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| A variable message sign, which offers information regarding weather, congestion, construction, or other concerns to motorists, is located on eastbound after the Pecos Street diamond interchange. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next exit along eastbound Interstate 70 is Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25 and U.S. 6-85-87. This is the infamous Mousetrap Interchange, which has been reconstructed over several years during the 1990s and 2000s. As a result of reconstruction, Interstates 25 and 70 have benefited from the improved traffic flow in the immediate area of the interchange, but now other improvements to the approach routes are needed, including expansion and reconstruction of several segments. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The right two lanes become exit only for Interstate 25. Use Interstate 25 north for high-speed access to northern Colorado, including most of the cities served by U.S. 287, even though the Interstate remains east of those cities and west of Greeley and other cities served primarily by U.S. 85. As a result, land along Interstate 25 north of Denver is largely undeveloped, especially north of Longmont. Beyond Fort Collins (the control city), northbound Interstate 25 enters Wyoming and connects to the cities of Cheyenne, Wheatland, Douglas, Casper, and Buffalo. To the south, Interstate 25 skirts the western edge of downtown Denver, then continues south toward Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and southern Colorado. The freeway then enters New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment." Interstate 25 serves as the primary north-south route in that state, connecting Raton, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Socorro, Truth or Consequences, and Las Cruces, where it ends at Interstate 10. Photo taken 08/28/04.
| | Interstate 70/U.S. 6 East and U.S. 85 North
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| After the two-lane exit from eastbound Interstate 70 to Interstate 25 north/south, Interstate 70 reduces to only two lanes in each direction, even though there are provisions for future expansion as needed. The additional lanes will likely be added once the section of Interstate 70 east of the Mousetrap is reconstructed along the 46th Avenue corridor or possibly realigned to a new, northern alignment that would pass through the Denver Stockyards and skirt southern Commerce City. This possible realignment is the source of much debate, and it will be awhile before a decision is reached on the ultimate alignment of Interstate 70 between Interstate 25 and Interstate 270/U.S. 36. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Interstate 70 is the highest bridge in the Mousetrap interchange complex (Matt Salek). From the 1960s onward, locals and the media have referred to the junction between Interstate 25 (Valley Highway) and Interstate 70 (Former Colorado 72/46th Avenue Expressway) that was built in 1951. The Mousetrap was part of a massive reconstruction project that began in 1987 and was completed in 2003. Even with its completion, work is required on Interstate 70 east of the Mousetrap to make full use of its configuration. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along eastbound are Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard; Exit 275C, York Street and Josephine Street; and Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6 east and U.S. 85 north, Vasquez Boulevard. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Traffic from Interstate 25 prepares to merge onto eastbound Interstate 70 just west of the Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard/Old U.S. 6-85 offramp (Exit 275B). Although not signed in the Mousetrap interchange, this ramp also carries U.S. 6 east and U.S. 85 north. The two routes were silently merged on Interstate 25 north, and they silently merge onto eastbound Interstate 70. The two routes will depart the freeway at Exit 276A. Note here that there is a ramp to Washington Street; this ramp is not accessible from the mainline of eastbound Interstate 70; it could be considered Exit 275A, since there is no such exit from eastbound. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Once the additional lanes from Interstate 25 merge onto Interstate 70 east, three new lanes are added to the mix. Of the three lanes, the far right lane becomes exit only for the connection to Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265 north via Brighton Street (old U.S. 6-85) to the Swansea neighborhood of Denver and the city of Commerce City in Adams County. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 and U.S. 6-85 reaches Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard north to Commerce City and Brighton Boulevard south to downtown Denver. Southwestbound Brighton Boulevard changes into Broadway Street once the street turns due south and enters the Curtis Park neighborhood. Broadway is a major north-south street that cuts through Denver's downtown grid system, and both Brighton Boulevard and Broadway carry a bit of history, since this was the old alignment of U.S. 6-85 before the two routes were transferred onto the freeway system. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along eastbound Interstate 70 are Exit 275C, York Street/Josephine Street; Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6-85/Vasquez Boulevard; and Exit 276B, Junction Colorado 2/Colorado Boulevard. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 275C, York Street/Josephine Street. The next two exits on eastbound are Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6-85/Vasquez Boulevard and Exit 276B, Junction Colorado 2/Colorado Boulevard. York Street/Josephine Street are a one-way couplet that serves the Swansea neighborhood to the north and Cole Clayton, Whittier, and Skyland neighborhoods to the south. South of First Avenue near Cherry Creek, the couplet transitions onto University Boulevard. University Boulevard continues south, serving Denver University (commonly referred to as "DU") and then entering Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village in Arapahoe County. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| For the first time anywhere on eastbound Interstate 70 in Colorado, the two "silently merged" U.S. highways (U.S. 6 and U.S. 85) speak up. These signs, which were either replaced or added to this shield assembly since 2003, show that Interstate 70 is indeed merged with U.S. 6 east and U.S. 85 north. Similar signs are posted on westbound Interstate 70 near here. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next exit along eastbound Interstate 70 is Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6 East and U.S. 85 North, Vasquez Boulevard. In addition to Vasquez Boulevard, this exit also serves Steele Street, which travels south toward the Denver City Park and Golf Course. This section of Steele Street is disconnected from the section of Steele Street that crosses Interstate 25/U.S. 87 southeast of downtown Denver. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6-85, Vasquez Boulevard. It seems a bit odd to have U.S. 6-85 enter Commerce City at all, since a more direct route for through traffic for U.S. 6 east and U.S. 85 east would have used Interstate 25 north to Interstate 76 east. However, this preserves the old alignment of U.S. 6-85. Vasquez Boulevard is paralleled by Brighton Boulevard (Colorado 265), which offers an alternate route to U.S. 6-85 between Interstate 70 and Interstate 76. U.S. 6-85 both merge onto Interstate 76 at Exit 9 near Dupont. Photo taken 08/28/04.
| | Interstate 70 East
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| Eastbound Interstate 70 again rides solo, with no parallel U.S. routes for at least the next couple of miles. Of course, that changes once U.S. 36 merges onto Interstate 70 at the Interstate 270 interchange (Exit 279). Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The freeway next reaches the junction with Colorado 2 (Colorado Boulevard) at Exit 276B. Colorado 2 follows a major north-south arterial route through Denver, skirting the eastern edge of Denver City Park and serving Glendale before meeting Interstate 25 southeast of Cherry Creek. The next exit along eastbound is Exit 277, Dahlia Street, Holly Street, and Monaco Parkway. Exit 277 actually connects to a frontage road (Stapleton Drive) that connects to north-south Dahlia Street, Holly Street, and finally Monaco Parkway before merging back onto Interstate 70. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next exit along eastbound is Exit 278, Junction Colorado 35 north/Quebec Street. Prior to 2000, Colorado 35 followed Quebec Street as far south as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the former main entrance to now-closed Stapleton International Airport. Now the state highway is greatly curtailed, and as of 2005, Colorado 35 remains signed only between Interstate 70 and Interstate 270 near 53rd Place. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Use Colorado 35/Quebec Street north to connect to Interstate 270/U.S. 36 west to Commerce City and Boulder. To the south, Quebec Street passes by a series of hotels that were orphaned when Stapleton International Airport was closed in February 1995, when Denver International Airport took over operations. These hotels still thrive in their location, and conventions find the area convenient due to its proximity to downtown. The Stapleton site is now being redeveloped as part of the Stapleton Denver Project. As for Quebec Street, it is still an expressway south to Martin Luther King Boulevard, which is the former main entrance to the old airport. An interchange exists at the Smith Road junction, and frontage roads provide access to the hotels. Even without the airport, this area can be extremely busy. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| This unusual overpass, which carries eastbound Interstate 270 and U.S. 36 traffic over Interstate 70, has an arch built into the bridge supports, which is unlike most overpass designs. U.S. 36 silently merges onto eastbound Interstate 70; Interstate 270 reaches its eastern terminus at this interchange. There is no direct access from eastbound Interstate 70 to westbound Interstate 270/U.S. 36. Photo taken 08/28/04.
| | Interstate 70/U.S. 36 East
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| U.S. 36 is now merged with Interstate 70 east, and the two routes will share their alignment until Exit 316 near Byers. The next exit along eastbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 is Exit 280, Havana Street. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| After the Havana Street interchange (Exit 280) and the Peoria Street interchange (Exit 281), eastbound Interstate 70 and U.S. 36 will approach the transition ramp onto southbound Interstate 225 (Exit 282). Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Havana Street skirts the eastern edge of the former Stapleton International Airport. Back when the airport was in operation, there used to be a runway that crossed over Interstate 70, but that overpass was removed after the airport was closed. Havana Street travels south through Adams County into Aurora and Arapahoe County, and it picks up Colorado 30 from 6th Avenue south to where Havana Street makes a 90-degree turn west into Hampden Avenue. Colorado 30 transitions into U.S. 285 upon reaching the Interstate 25/U.S. 87 interchange (Exit 201). Between 1970 and 1979, U.S. 285 followed a portion of Havana Street, from Hampden Avenue north to Colfax Avenue (Junction Business Loop I-70 and U.S. 40-287). However, U.S. 285 was retracted back to Interstate 25. For more on U.S. 285, visit Matt Salek's U.S. 285 listing. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 reaches Exit 280, Havana Street. The left four lanes continue east, while the right lane becomes exit only for Havana Street. Use Havana Street north to 56th Avenue. This is the northern end of Havana Street; use 56th Avenue east to the Montbello neighborhood of Denver as well as Frederico Peņa Parkway, which connects to Denver International Airport. Fifty-Sixth Avenue travels west to Commerce City in Adams County. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along Interstate 70/U.S. 36 east are Exit 281, Peoria Street; Exit 282, Junction Interstate 225 south; and Exit 283, Chambers Road. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Parallel to Havana Street, Peoria Street offers a more direct route north to Montbello and south into Aurora. Use Peoria Street south to the U.S. Army Garrison at Fitzsimons and Del Mar Circle, the location of a park and shopping center. Peoria Street reaches its southern end at Colorado 83/Parker Road near the Interstate 225 interchange. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The next three exits along Interstate 70/U.S. 36 east are Exit 282, Junction Interstate 225 south; Exit 283, Chambers Road; and Exit 284, Junction Federico Peņa Parkway north to Denver International Airport. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| Interstate 225 is a major connecting route between Interstate 25 and Interstate 70. It was constructed from north to south in stages during the 1960s and 1970s, with the last section to open at Interstate 25. Much of Interstate 225 has been or will be widened, and active construction is underway (as of 2004) from Colfax Avenue south to Mississippi Avenue and again from Colorado 83 southwest to Interstate 25. Interstate 225 is the primary route through the city of Aurora, which is partially in Adams County and partially in Arapahoe County. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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| The right lane becomes exit only for the transition to southbound Interstate 225 at Exit 282. The left three lanes continue east on Interstate 70/U.S. 36. The next exit is Exit 283, Chambers Road. Upon crossing this major interchange, Interstate 70 leaves Denver County and enters Adams County. Photo taken 08/28/04.
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Page Updated July 9, 2005.
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