Colorado traffic forecast for July 4th. Avoid these roadways

Anyone planning on driving through Colorado’s mountains this week should prepare for heavy traffic and potential delays.

The Fourth of July typically represents the beginning of the peak travel season along Interstate 70 from Denver through the Eisenhower Tunnel to Glenwood Springs, Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Bob Wilson said Monday.

With the Independence Day holiday falling on a Thursday this year, traffic is likely to be heaviest heading westbound along that stretch of highway on Wednesday and Thursday, he said, and in the eastbound direction on Sunday.

Heavy traffic is also expected Wednesday through Sunday on U.S. Highway 34 from Loveland to Estes Park and Colorado Highway 14 through the Poudre Canyon to the top of Cameron Pass and along the Interstate 25 corridor from Wellington to Pueblo.

“The biggest piece of advice we give is just for people to be aware,” said Wilson, CDOT’s statewide communications manager. “Some of the heaviest travel days of the year will be on Wednesday and Thursday. A lot of people who were not able to get off of work for the week will be traveling on those two days.”

More: New timeline for North I-25 Express Lanes tolls

Traffic tends to taper off a bit, he said, later in the day on the holiday itself. Friday and Saturday should be less congested than Wednesday or Sunday as well, depending on the number of “day-trippers” heading up each day.

“With a long four-day weekend, you’re going to get that big push of people going up for a longer-term stay," Wilson said. "Generally, the day before the holiday and then the day of are the busiest. If you can coincide the time you’re leaving to when there’s lower traffic numbers, that will help. But that can be hard to judge on a week like this.”

CDOT is suspending all nonemergency construction and maintenance projects across the state from noon Wednesday until Monday, July 8. Crews will still be available to respond to any sinkholes, potholes or other hazards that “compromise safety,” he said.

Motorists are strongly encouraged to “know before you go,” by checking the status of the state’s roadways before traveling, Wilson said. Information is available on CDOT’s Facebook page , X.com feed or by calling 511. Additional information on I-70 west of Denver is available at www.goI70.com .

The Fourth of July typically ushers in the beginning of the heaviest travel season through Colorado’s high country, Wilson said. Higher, even, than a winter ski weekend. Snow has generally melted, opening up more hiking trails, campgrounds, lakes and rivers to recreational activity. Kids are out of school, and people are getting their vacations in while they can.

Traffic volume generally remains high through the middle of August, tapers off a bit until the Labor Day weekend and then picks up a bit the last two weekends of September as people travel to view the fall colors.

About 32,000 vehicles a day in each direction typically pass through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, Wilson said. Those numbers are likely to top 50,000 from Wednesday through Sunday, figures approaching the maximum volume the tunnel’s two bores can handle that could trigger stoplight-controlled traffic reductions.

Last year, the Fourth of July fell on a Tuesday, and more than 50,000 vehicles a day passed through the tunnels on the previous Friday through Sunday, reaching a peak of 51,913 on Saturday, July 1. Traffic along the I-70 corridor remained high through Wednesday, July 5, according to daily CDOT counts.

I-70 is particularly vulnerable to traffic congestion, with no alternate routes available in locations where the interstate was built directly on top of the old U.S. 6 and U.S. 40 roadways, which otherwise serve as frontage roads.

“If you’re not able to use that particular mountain road in places, such as Glenwood Canyon, the detour is going to take you a few hours out of your way,” Wilson said. “That’s just the nature of the geography of western Colorado.”

Alternatives to I-25 in Northern Colorado include U.S. 287 from Fort Collins to Lafayette, U.S. 85 from Ault to Castle Rock, and Colorado 93 from Boulder to Golden. Heavier traffic is expected on those routes throughout the holiday travel period as well, Wilson said.

Colorado State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies will have increased DUI enforcement on roadways through the state from Wednesday through Monday, he said.

CDOT’s summer tips for drivers include remaining alert; avoid driving impaired; avoiding distractions such as eating, cellphone or in-vehicle technology use; watching for pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles; obeying posted speed limits; maintaining proper tire pressure; turning your lights on, particularly during twilight hours, to make it easier for other drivers to see your vehicle; and recognizing that larger vehicles tend to drive at slower speeds, remaining out of their blind spots, paying extra attention to their turn signals and giving them additional room to maneuver.

Contact reporter Kelly Lyell at KellyLyell@coloradoan.com . You can follow him at x.com/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado traffic forecast for July 4th. Avoid these roadways