| Interstate 70/U.S. 36 West
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| Technically, this sign is the last one posted along westbound in the city of Aurora and Adams County, but Interstate 70/U.S. 36 will enter Denver city/county upon passing under the ramps of the Interstate 225 interchange. Since access to Peoria Street (technically Exit 281) is via the Interstate 225 exit ramp, the next exit after the Interstate 225 ramps is Exit 280, Havana Street, followed by Exit 279, Junction Interstate 270/U.S. 36 west and Exit 278, Junction Colorado 35/Quebec Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This flyover ramp connects westbound Interstate 70 with southbound Interstate 225. 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 08/29/04.
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| Eastbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 officially enter the city/county of Denver upon reaching this city limits sign, which provides the well-known elevation of 5,280 feet (one mile), thus giving the city its nickname of "Mile High City." Denver was founded in 1858 and incorporated shortly thereafter, in 1861. It has a population of 554,636 as of a 2005 estimate per the official web page, and it spreads over an area of 154.63 square miles. The average annual rainfall is 15.4 inches, and the average annual snowfall is 55.4 inches. The winters can be cold and summers hot. Thunderstorms are common during the summer, while snowstorms can occur during the winter. Ice and cold can take its toll on the transportation system, especially on tall freeway to freeway flyover ramps. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Here is a view of the Peoria Street offramp as seen from the main lanes. See the I-70 West in Adams County page to see the view of the same sign from the collector-distributor lanes. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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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 08/29/04.
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| With the replacement of most Interstate shields in the Denver metropolitan area in 2003, most shields carry the Colorado state name. This is a now-rare neutered Interstate 70 shield. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits along westbound are Exit 280, Havana Street; Exit 279, Junction Interstate 270/U.S. 36; and Exit 278, Junction Colorado 35/Quebec Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 reaches Exit 280, 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 08/29/04.
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| The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains rises above the Mile High City as westbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 approaches its second Interstate Highway interchange in three miles. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Interstate 70 and U.S. 36 prepare to split permanently at Exit 279, Junction Interstate 270. While Interstate 70 continues west toward Idaho Springs, Silverthorne, Vail, and Eagle, U.S. 36 turns northwest toward Boulder and Estes Park. U.S. 36 meets its western terminus at U.S. 34 in Rocky Mountain National Park, but U.S. 36 is a freeway from here to Boulder. U.S. 36 is signed as Interstate 270 between Interstate 70 and Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Interstate 270 is a short connector route from Interstate 70 to Interstate 25 and U.S. 36. It used to extend as far north as Interstate 76, but it was extended in phases during the early 2000s as part of an overall plan to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the Mousetrap Interchange (Junction Interstates 25 and 70). There had been talk of extending the Interstate 270 designation northwest to Boulder, but that has not been discussed recently. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This sign is the only indication that U.S. 36 traffic should use Interstate 270 westbound (northbound) to reach U.S. 36, the Denver-Boulder Turnpike. U.S. 36 continues silently merged on Interstate 270 west, then becomes its own route west of Interstate 25. It travels through Westminster and Broomfield, then travels north into Boulder, then northwest to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. The sign is partially obstructed by a light pole, which makes one wonder why the sign would not be in front of the light pole for better clarity. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70/U.S. 36 reaches Exit 279, Junction Interstate 270/U.S. 36. The next exit is exit 278, Junction Colorado 35/Quebec Street, which used to be the main route into Denver's airport until the airport was moved to its current location during the mid-1990s (Denver International Airport). Stapleton Airport, the former airport, was closed; it is currently being redeveloped for other uses. Photo taken 08/29/04.
| | Interstate 70 West
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| The next exit along westbound Interstate 70 is Exit 278, Junction Colorado 35/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. 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 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along westbound Interstate 70 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 08/29/04.
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| An Interstate 70 reassurance shield with the state name is posted after the exit to the north Stapleton Drive frontage road. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along westbound Interstate 70 is Exit 267B, Junction Colorado 2/Colorado Boulevard to U.S. 6-85. Colorado 2 follows a major north-south arterial route (Colorado Boulevard) through Denver, skirting the eastern edge of Denver City Park and serving Glendale before meeting Interstate 25 southeast of Cherry Creek. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This old sign bridge advertises a phone number for information regarding the ongoing reconstruction projects on Interstate 25, including T-Rex to the south, the Broadway Viaduct and related projects near downtown that are planned for the future, and the North Forty project planned for the freeway north of the metropolitan area between Longmont and Fort Collins. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 276B, Junction Colorado 2/Colorado Boulevard. Colorado Boulevard connects with U.S. 6-85/Vasquez Boulevard just north of here. Colorado 2 merges with U.S. 6-85, and the three routes intersect Interstate 270 a couple miles north of here. 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 08/29/04.
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| Several exits are ahead in a short distance on westbound Interstate 70: Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6-85/Vasquez Boulevard north/Steele Street south; Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265 North/Brighton Boulevard; Exit 275A, Washington Street; and Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25/U.S. 87, the Valley Highway. Of these exits, the most important is the interchange between Interstate 70 and Interstate 25, the Mousetrap. As such, this sign indicates the distance to that juncture. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 276A, Junction U.S. 6 East and U.S. 85 North, Vasquez Boulevard and Steele Street south. Yes, this is the same Steele Street that crosses over Interstate 25 south of downtown, but it is interrupted several times as it navigates Denver's street grid. Vasquez Boulevard, meanwhile, heads northeast toward Interstate 76. Photo taken 11/10/03.
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| Between Colorado 2 and Colorado 265, Interstate 70 follows an elevated viaduct that travels above 46th Avenue in Denver. Forty-Sixth Avenue has lanes of travel for local traffic below the viaduct. This viaduct is well-known for delays, especially due to limited site distance from the on-ramps and to the off-ramps, as well as limited acceleration and deceleration lanes. In this area, Interstate 70 crosses over Clayton Street and Fillmore Street, which serve as the southwestern end of Vasquez Boulevard. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| In Denver, all freeways are mileposted in this unique manner: The top line indicates the direction of travel and route number (W 70 = westbound Interstate 70), followed by the mileage (276) and decimal place (.00). The onramp ahead brings traffic from westbound U.S. 6 and southbound U.S. 85 onto westbound Interstate 70. For U.S. 6, this will be the first of many times that it will merge with Interstate 70; for U.S. 85, it will only remain merged from here to the Mousetrap Interchange. Photo taken 08/29/04.
| | Interstate 70/U.S. 6 West and U.S. 85 South
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| For the first time anywhere on westbound 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 westbound Interstate 70 is indeed merged with U.S. 6 west and U.S. 85 south. Similar signs are posted on eastbound Interstate 70 near here. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along westbound is Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard. Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard travels north to Swansea neighborhood of Denver and the city of Commerce City. Use Brighton Boulevard south to downtown Denver, including Coors Field (home of baseball's Colorado Rockies). 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 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 and U.S. 6-85 reaches Exit 275B, Junction Colorado 265/Brighton Boulevard south. After this interchange, Interstate 70 leaves the old 46th Avenue Viaduct and enters the brand new construction of the Mousetrap Interchange. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next two exits along westbound Interstate 70/U.S. 6 and southbound U.S. 85 are Exit 275A, Washington Street, one-half mile, and Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25/U.S. 87, 0.75 mile. Note again the presence of U.S. 6-85 shields on the mainline. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The incoming right lane becomes exit only for Exit 275A, Washington Street. The left three lanes continue west on Interstate 70, while the number three and number four lanes provide access to Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25 and U.S. 87. Use Interstate 25/U.S. 87 south for the continuation of U.S. 6-85. For more on the disappointing lack of U.S route signage continuity, visit Dale Sanderson's The last remaining US 87 marker in Colorado ... and other collateral damage arising from CDoT's lack of signage for US routes multiplexed with interstates. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 275A, Washington Street. The next exit is Exit 274, Junction Interstate 25/U.S. 87. 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 08/29/04.
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| Interstate 70 meets Interstate 25 reaches the infamous Mousetrap interchange, Exit 274. Reconstructed in stages between 1987 and 2003, the Mousetrap has one of the most colorful nicknames commonly given to interchanges. For more on the Mousetrap, visit Matt Salek's Interstate 25 Page. Meanwhile, U.S. 6 west and U.S. 85 south turn onto Interstate 25/U.S. 87 south, but no signs mention that fact. The next exit after the Interstate 25 exit is Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287/Federal Boulevard. Photo taken 11/10/03.
| | Interstate 70 West
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| Continuing west through the Mousetrap Interchange, the next exit along westbound is 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 enters downtown Denver via 20th Street, which passes close to Coors Field (home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies). Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Interstate 70 reduces to only two lanes in each direction within the Mousetrap, 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 08/29/04.
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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 08/29/04.
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| Additional lanes join Interstate 70 westbound after the freeway passes over Interstate 25. Interstate 70 was originally intended to end here at the Interstate 25 interchange per the 1956 Interstate Highway plans, but the extension to Utah was authorized shortly thereafter, in 1958. Most of this stretch of Interstate 70 was originally built in the 1960s; for a complete reference table that provides opening dates of each segment of Interstate 70 in Colorado, visit Matt Salek's Interstate 70 in Colorado page. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The right lane becomes exit only for Exit 273, Pecos Street, while the left three lanes continue west on Interstate 70 toward Wheat Ridge and Golden. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along westbound Interstate 70 is Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287, Federal Boulevard. If motorists missed the first exit to U.S. 287 north (Exit 288, Colfax Avenue), then they probably won't miss this exit, which takes U.S. 287 north toward Westminster and Federal Heights. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits on westbound Interstate 70 are Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287, Federal Boulevard; Exit 271B, Lowell Boulevard/Tennyson Street; and Exit 271A, Junction Colorado 95, Sheridan Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 272, Junction U.S. 287, Federal Boulevard. 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 08/29/04.
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| The six-lane Interstate 70 freeway sweeps under the Federal Boulevard overpass. This is part of what used to be the Colorado 72 expressway, which was built in the mid-1960s between Sheridan Boulevard (Colorado 95) in the west and Colfax Avenue (Business Loop I-70 and U.S. 40-287) in the east. While most of the old construction of Colorado 72 has been superceded by a variety of reconstruction projects, parts of the original freeway remain, including this stretch, the 46th Avenue Viaduct, and portions near the Interstate 270 merge. However, reconstruction and possible replacement plans may change the 46th Avenue Viaduct and Interstate 270 area permanently. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits on westbound Interstate 70 are Exit 271B, Lowell Boulevard/Tennyson Street; Exit 271A, Junction Colorado 95, Sheridan Street; and Exit 270, Harlan Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 271B, Lowell Boulevard and Tennyson Street. This half-diamond interchange does not offer a return ramp back onto Interstate 70, so this exit is for local traffic only. Use Lowell Boulevard north to Regis University and south to Rocky Mountain Lake, which is skirted by the freeway on the south side. Tennyson Street, which also travels north-south, is eight blocks west of Lowell Boulevard. Use the north frontage road (48th Avenue) to connect to Tennyson Street. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| This westbound Interstate 70 reassurance shield is posted immediately after the Lowell Boulevard grade separation. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next exit along westbound is Exit 271A, Junction Colorado 95, Sheridan Boulevard. Sheridan Boulevard generally acts as the boundary between the city/county of Denver to the east and Jefferson County to the west. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| The next three exits on westbound Interstate 70 are Exit 271A, Junction Colorado 95, Sheridan Street; Exit 270, Harlan Street; and Exit 269, Junction Colorado 121, Wadsworth Boulevard. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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| Westbound Interstate 70 reaches Exit 271A, Junction Colorado 95, Sheridan Boulevard. West of here, former Colorado 72 used to turn north onto Marshall Street, then travel northwest via Ralston Street into Arvada. Today, Colorado 72 begins at the Ward Road interchange (Exit 266). As for Interstate 70, it exits Denver County and enters Jefferson County. Photo taken 08/29/04.
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Page Updated June 22, 2005.
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