Holiday travelers can expect congested highways and slow-going interstates this weekend.
The Fourth of July weekend brings with it the heaviest traffic in Colorado all year, said Stacy Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The heaviest traffic is expected on Interstates 25 and 70 as travelers migrate to the high country and areas north and south of the metro area.
On an average day about 30,000 cars will travel through the Eisenhower Tunnel, Stegman said. Last weeken, 177,000 vehicles passed through. Almost 49,000 vehicles traveled through the tunnel on July 5, 2010.
Traffic will pick up this afternoon as commuters take off for the weekend and will continue to stay busy Saturday morning. Volume will increase again Monday evening and Tuesday morning as drivers make their way home.
All major construction projects stopped at noon today and will not resume until Tuesday morning.
In previous years the heaviest traffic fell between Thursday and Sunday, with almost 15,000 more travelers a day than normal.
“We’re not entirely sure what to expect this year with the Fourth being on a Monday and people having to go to work Tuesday morning,” Stegman said.
The holiday also marks the start of the heaviest traffic season on I-70.
“July and August is when we see traffic at its worst – more so than on ski weekends,” Stegman said.
But fender-benders are not the only concern for drivers this weekend.
During this weekend last year, there were 10 traffic fatalities, 5 of them were related to alcohol. Police also made 620 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, Stegman said.
Check-points will be set up across the state throughout the weekend.
One of the best things travelers can do during the busy traffic season is stay in touch with traffic conditions by paying attention to when traffic is expected to be the heaviest and using alternative routes.
Drivers can call 511 for road conditions or sign up for traffic alerts at CDOT’s website, .
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
