I 70 sucks

[SBrown]

I’ve learned over the years that I 70 doesn’t have to be a PIA. Mostly I drive up Monday late morning/early afternoon and return before 3 p.m. Wednesday. I 25, however, can choke on a goat.

Luckily you can do 70 on the weekdays, but yeah then you are on 25 on weekdays with everyone else.

I have been thinking about all this, actually, because ironically I ski less now that I am full time in the mountains than I did when in Denver. There are multiple reasons for that, some having nothing to do with where I live, but it is definitely one of the reasons. Would be interested in other views, maybe I should start a thread. Mainly it's just a lot harder to get other things done -- that wasn't a factor that was on my radar. Just basic life maintenance, you know? Doctor appts, car appts, house calls, all that boring stuff. I could easily keep those things to certain days when in the city, and reserve my (sacred) ski days. A little messier now.

 

[Rich McP]

Luckily you can do 70 on the weekdays, but yeah then you are on 25 on weekdays with everyone else.

I have been thinking about all this, actually, because ironically I ski less now that I am full time in the mountains than I did when in Denver. There are multiple reasons for that, some having nothing to do with where I live, but it is definitely one of the reasons. Would be interested in other views, maybe I should start a thread. Mainly it's just a lot harder to get other things done -- that wasn't a factor that was on my radar. Just basic life maintenance, you know? Doctor appts, car appts, house calls, all that boring stuff. I could easily keep those things to certain days when in the city, and reserve my (sacred) ski days. A little messier now.

I find that I will be a bit more particular about what days I go out. Even then, a “day” might be two or three runs. You are right about day to day adulting, it can be more work from up there.

 

[RachelV]

... Sometimes I70 doesn't suck. You just have to play it's game. ...

What frustrates me so much about I-70 is that no matter how good you think you are at the game and how much flexibility you have, it can always close at 2pm on a Tuesday in September and turn your drive home from Moab into an 8 hour ordeal, or whatever. I know that this is ridiculous but I feel like there are moments where I-70 wants to make sure I don't get too smug about THE GAME.

 

[Ken_R]

What frustrates me so much about I-70 is that no matter how good you think you are at the game and how much flexibility you have, it can always close at 2pm on a Tuesday in September and turn your drive home from Moab into an 8 hour ordeal, or whatever. I know that this is ridiculous but I feel like there are moments where I-70 wants to make sure I don't get too smug about THE GAME.

There are the obvious times to avoid but given bad weather there can be a closure at a moment's notice. I have had good luck with i70 but that has cost me good breakfasts/coffee and a powder day or 2 since I have made the call to not drive on many occasions. I have PLENTY of flexibility of when to drive. On most powder days timing is crucial and so is having winter tires. Those 5am drive ups can be VERY sketchy. I am glad I had no one else in the car those times.

 

[SBrown]

What frustrates me so much about I-70 is that no matter how good you think you are at the game and how much flexibility you have, it can always close at 2pm on a Tuesday in September and turn your drive home from Moab into an 8 hour ordeal, or whatever. I know that this is ridiculous but I feel like there are moments where I-70 wants to make sure I don't get too smug about THE GAME.

100%. This is what seems to have changed in recent years. I assume it's the increased truck traffic with decreased driver experience ... once you wreck a semi, that's no 10-min fender-bender cleanup. (In addition to just plain more volume.)

 

[Monique]

I ski a *lot* less now that I don't have the condo. The drive is just such a cluster. Even the night time drives didn't guarantee clear sailing, but driving I 70 for a single day of weekend skiing is so stressful.

When I had a condo, I loved it when the tunnel closed and I could enjoy a powder morning without all the "commuters." I guess it's only fair that I'm in the same boat now!

 

[nay]

Luckily you can do 70 on the weekdays, but yeah then you are on 25 on weekdays with everyone else.

I have been thinking about all this, actually, because ironically I ski less now that I am full time in the mountains than I did when in Denver. There are multiple reasons for that, some having nothing to do with where I live, but it is definitely one of the reasons. Would be interested in other views, maybe I should start a thread. Mainly it's just a lot harder to get other things done -- that wasn't a factor that was on my radar. Just basic life maintenance, you know? Doctor appts, car appts, house calls, all that boring stuff. I could easily keep those things to certain days when in the city, and reserve my (sacred) ski days. A little messier now.

I wonder if there is some ease to things that makes a difference. I have been all about maximizing ski days, beating I-70, all that for years.

Now with a place in the mountains it’s all about quality. That’s maybe leaving to ski at 11:30 in the morning, picking a good 2.5 hours, picking best days, and most specifically, not wearing myself out at the cost of life balance.

It never feels that way fighting for days, up at 4:30, having to compete for it. Maybe a bit of paradox there?

 

[SBrown]

I wonder if there is some ease to things that makes a difference. I have been all about maximizing ski days, beating I-70, all that for years.

Now with a place in the mountains it’s all about quality. That’s maybe leaving to ski at 11:30 in the morning, picking a good 2.5 hours, picking best days, and most specifically, not wearing myself out at the cost of life balance.

It never feels that way fighting for days, up at 4:30, having to compete for it. Maybe a bit of paradox there?

That, and (as I said, there are multiple reasons) I think part of my huge desire was just to be in the mountains. Now I am, even if I am not skiing (or hiking or biking or ...), so it lessens the urge a little? Dunno.... I'm probably just old.

 

[coskigirl]

That, and (as I said, there are multiple reasons) I think part of my huge desire was just to be in the mountains. Now I am, even if I am not skiing (or hiking or biking or ...), so it lessens the urge a little? Dunno.... I'm probably just old.

I get this. Sometimes when I’m at the family home in Eagle-Vail, I’m content with just being there instead of rushing out to do activity. Hoping that a similar lifestyle is my full time sometime in 2023.

 

[nay]

Dunno.... I'm probably just old.

I keep trying to frame that as “more content”.

As I sit on two seat fixed grip lifts at Monarch that access 0% beginner and very little terminal intermediate terrain yet stop for beginners falling off the lift every 8.3 chairs…I am reminded that people are stupid and skiing is stupid but I do it anyway and that sometimes a long rural walk with the dogs out the front door is just…better.

 

[RachelV]

That, and (as I said, there are multiple reasons) I think part of my huge desire was just to be in the mountains. Now I am, even if I am not skiing (or hiking or biking or ...), so it lessens the urge a little? Dunno.... I'm probably just old.

I have definitely skied less since we've had the condo in Dillon. Before, when I was heading to Summit, I was on a MISSION to ski. Now, I'm just hanging out at my house. You want to go to brunch? Suuuuuuuuure. Just feel like going for a hike? Whatever! Oh, we still need to replace the blinds! Before I know it it's April and I've skied like 20 days. It's very confusing. I do, however, absolutely love being up there no matter what we're doing.

Also, yes, I am not getting younger (weird!) and I choose my days as much by how easy they're going to be as anything else.

 

[BTaylor]

From Evergreen's Alpine Rescue group

 

[BTaylor]

$100M for I-70 Improvements from Evergreen to Idaho Springs, including 3rd Westbound Lane

Grant announcement last week by Colorado DOT and the County of Clear Creek:

funding is set to improve eight miles of the I-70 Mountain Corridor – from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs – add a third westbound travel lane, construct a frontage road connection, add a new ramp from US 6 to eastbound I-70, and improve design speed and sight distance on horizontal curves. The project also improves the Clear Creek Greenway multimodal trail and implements environmental mitigation efforts, including installing wildlife crossings and fencing, and restoring nearby creek and riparian areas. It will also install electric vehicle infrastructure and shuttle parking to support transit operations in the corridor.

The bipartisan 2021 Federal Infrastructure bill provided set-asides for most of the funding of this work via the existing multimodal freight and highways program (INFRA).

 

[cantunamunch]

From Evergreen's Alpine Rescue group

View attachment 156531

If someone gets hurt, can they make a torte claim?

 

[doc]

$100M for I-70 Improvements from Evergreen to Idaho Springs, including 3rd Westbound Lane

Sounds like a decade long project the eventual upside from which, in terms of traffic flow, will not outweigh the nightmarish addition to traffic flow problems caused by and during the construction.
While I appreciate the need for improvements on the I70 corridor, color me a skeptic on this one. We could probably achieve nearly the same improvement in traffic flow by leaving the toll lanes open 100% of the time, rather than closing them much of the time to comply with some bizarre and ill-thought out regulation. In other words, just west of Floyd Hill, there already is a 3rd westbound lane. Why not use it, all the time, for god's sake?

 

[jmeb]

Floyd hill construction will hurt, but it's necessary. The bridge at the bottom that will be replaced is chronically falling apart. The pinch at the top and subsequent aggressive driving Westbound leads to frequent accidents.

Even if traffic times aren't reduced by this (they won't be), predictability and capacity will be greatly increade.d

 

[Doug Briggs]

Floyd hill construction will hurt, but it's necessary. The bridge at the bottom that will be replaced is chronically falling apart. The pinch at the top and subsequent aggressive driving Westbound leads to frequent accidents.

Even if traffic times aren't reduced by this (they won't be), predictability and capacity will be greatly increade.d

Agree about that two lane bridge on the corner at the bottom of FH. It's a nightmare in daylight and a total crap shoot in snow. Will I bounce and slide or no?

Predictability I'll accept. Capacity. That's what we need more of. Not.

 

[jmeb]

More people are coming. No stopping growth. Build or die.

Although what I’d like to see is where there are 3 lanes—one be bus/emergency/tows only. We could take a bunch of cars off the road with a bus every 10min from Dino/federal center with some spokes for breck/keystone/Abasin.

 

[S.H.]

More people are coming. No stopping growth. Build or die.

Although what I’d like to see is where there are 3 lanes—one be bus/emergency/tows only. We could take a bunch of cars off the road with a bus every 10min from Dino/federal center with some spokes for breck/keystone/Abasin.

We could, but I don't believe that anyone would really take it

 

[mikel]

Color me a skeptic also. Mostly because of politics. We get this press release but let's not forget the previous one from a week ago.

CDOT funding for Silverthorne Exit 205 stalled because of 2020 decision​

and in the section of road between Evergreen and Floyd there are 3 lanes. Floyd becomes the bottle neck because of the reduction to 2 lanes and trucks trying to merge and all the speed racers trying to race up the right lane and cut over. The 3rd lane is already in the tunnel. So basically the construction would be from the top of Floyd to the tunnel and the Express Lane. Not an easy task. Would $100M cover that? And while not mentioned in the article I'm guessing the addition of any new lanes would be toll. I have no clue about a frontage road in that stretch.

Here is a another article regarding that stretch of road

New CDOT renderings show what an I-70 expansion at Floyd Hill might look like

The project's design is still subject to change.

www.cpr.org