VAIL — Some holiday-weekend drivers might have a few tricks up their sleeves for beating the holiday traffic, but the fact remains that Interstate 70 is likely to be jammed heading eastbound Monday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation offers some advice for Labor Day weekend warriors: Leave before 11 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid the most congestion along the interstate.
One of the heaviest weekend traffic volumes was Friday between 3 and 8 p.m. on westbound I-70. That traffic will be heading in the other direction Monday, as eastbound I-70 is expected to get crowded between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., with CDOT expecting delays of up to one hour.
Stop-and-go traffic continued Saturday, however, with CDOT reporting heavy westbound traffic between Mount Vernon Canyon and Empire, mile markers 256 to 232. Speeds were ranging between 20 and 40 miles per hour through the area early Saturday afternoon.
CDOT spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said construction and maintenance projects on highways this holiday weekend will be limited to projects that won’t affect traffic. She said there shouldn’t be lane closures because of construction.
Stegman expects the number of cars on I-70 to increase from last year. She said the department has been looking at economic conditions that show people are starting to have more discretionary income, which should lead to more travel. Also, Stegman said Colorado’s gas prices haven’t seen large spikes as in other states, which should also contribute to more holiday weekend travel.
Lauren Glendenning, Vail Daily
