Motorists expecting to be stuck in traffic coming down from the mountains on New Year’s Eve may instead breeze through — one offshoot of what has been an unpredictable holiday period.
On Sunday, for example, travelers found little or no difficulty on their eastbound routes, while those who tried to come back on Saturday — thinking they were getting a head start and avoiding trouble — were stuck in lengthy snarls.
“That ended up backfiring on them,” said Crystal Morgan, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. “It was an odd weekend and and an interesting week; with Christmas and New Year’s falling on a Wednesday, the crowds were spread out and it becomes hard to figure out when everyone will be driving.”
As far as CDOT can determine, Wednesday and Thursday are apt to have heavier traffic than normal. Morgan also points out that there will be a greater police presence on the roads during the next few days as a deterrence to drinking and driving.
