I-70 Corridor Fact Sheet

                                 10/22/07

 

  • Congestion on I-70 is a critical problem that hurts us all, whether we live on the Front Range, own a business on the western slope, or live along the corridor like those of us in Clear Creek County.  It is a problem that must be addressed.

 

  • It is also a corridor, however, that is unlike any other corridor in the state.  It is not like I-25 through the Tech Center in southeast Denver, the 6th Avenue corridor in West Denver, or any other corridor in Colorado that suffers from congestion. 

 

    • The role it plays in the state is unlike any other: 
      • it links Coloradans with our recreation centers, including most of the state’s ski resorts
      • it is the primary link between West slope and East slope
      • it is the primary method of shipping goods in and through Colorado

 

    • There is no feasible driving alternative to I-70.  If you are trying to drive from Denver to Summit County or the West Slope, or if you want to get from Grand Junction to Denver, you can’t simply get off the highway and find an alternate route.

 

  • Widening the highway is estimated to be a 15-year project.  Consider the impacts:
    • A 15-year traffic jam with no alternative route
    • The $9 billion visitors spend in this state supporting hundreds of businesses that employ over 200,000 people would be threatened
    • A major water supply and dozens of known and unknown historical treasures threatened by construction activities
    • The impacts of construction are enormous and will threaten this vital Colorado link and all the communities and interests that rely on I-70.

 

  • After spending 15 years widening the highway, CDOT estimates that the highway will again reach its capacity within 5 years.

 

  • It is estimated that a context sensitive highway widening design, comparable to what the state did in Glenwood Canyon, would cost approximately $5 billion. On the other hand, depending upon the technology, a safe, efficient, proven and fast rail system would cost approximately $6 billion.

 

  • Other problems with highway widening construction include:

 

    • Within its narrow confines is Clear Creek, a major source of water for Denver metro area residents and industries.  Approximately 20% of the Metro area’s water flows through Clear Creek.  Golden, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Arvada, Federal Heights, Wheat Ridge, and other municipalities all get their water from Clear Creek.  Businesses like the Coors Brewery and Xcel Energy also use Clear Creek water.  

 

    • The highway actually serves as a “cap” over 23 known millsites located along Clear Creek in our county.  Rebuilding I-70 could disturb the cap on those millsites, potentially exposing and mobilizing chemicals such as mercury, cyanide, and arsenic.  No meaningful impact analyses have been done regarding this issue.

 

    • It travels through some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the state.  The effects of carbon monoxide at altitude are more dramatic than at lower elevations, and the landscape and wildlife of the mountain environment are more vulnerable.

 

    • There are numerous historical treasures throughout the corridor that abut the highway, including the Idaho Springs Historic Preservation District and the Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic Landmark District.

 

  • All of these reasons are why the Major Investment Study that was done for this corridor concluded that highway widening was not the preferred solution but instead recommended a fixed guideway along with selected highway improvements such as adding truck passing lanes up long grades.

 

  • They are also why a coalition of 36 local and county governments along the corridor, together with numerous business, community and environmental groups, has come together to support an approach that is multi-modal and includes transit.

 

  • It is important that transit be operational before we tear up the highway.  Without an alternative mode of transportation in place before highway widening begins, a 15-year traffic jam will be created that will threaten tourism, commerce, and the quality of life of communities that stretch from Denver to Grand Junction. 

 

  • Let there be no mistake:  we need to fix this problem, but we need to do it in a smart way.  This is a Colorado problem that requires a Colorado solution, one that reflects Colorado’s values and protects what makes Colorado special.