If Interstate 70 was expanded from Utah to California, where would it end? (Los Angeles: move to, design)

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by boulder2015

You do realize there is a national forest in the way? Lol....

Did you read my second paragraph? Caltrans owns the right of way for the road, and has since the 70s. All they have to do is build it

[ragnarkar]

Probably not gonna happen.. upgrading US-50 to I-70 is kinda redundant with I-80 nearby. And I thought CA-58 (further south) is the future corridor for an I-40 extension. So that leaves the middle but that's where the Sierras are at their highest and it's gonna be prohibitively expensive to build across there, not to mention destroying a lot of the pristine environment (or maybe I've been brainwashed by the tree huggers in CA?)

Many years ago, there was a proposal for an I-66 extension from Washington DC to Fresno and the portion over the California Sierras was immediately killed off as far as I know. Edit: found it: https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-066.html

[marcopolo666]

This thread was started over 5 years ago - resist the urge to be sucked in again!

[Fastphilly]

I-70 through UTAH is the least traveled stretch of east/west interstate west of the Mississippi River. Traffic flows don’t warrant an extension.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by Fastphilly

I-70 through UTAH is the least traveled stretch of east/west interstate west of the Mississippi River. Traffic flows don’t warrant an extension.

It gets a lot of truck traffic, mainly trucks going from LA to Denver

[Fastphilly]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

It gets a lot of truck traffic, mainly trucks going from LA to Denver

Most truckers from LA use 40 and go north on 25 to Denver. 70 Transverses the Rockies (continental divide) with higher/steeper grades and far more mountainous curves compared to 40. 70 could have ended at 25 and wouldn’t hinder the flow of commerce as much as you think. I have driven that stretch of 70 and the volume of trucks west of Denver is far less than most other interstates I’ve traveled on. The only other interstate with fewer big rigs is 25 north of Casper.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by Fastphilly

Most truckers from LA use 40 and go north on 25 to Denver. 70 Transverses the Rockies (continental divide) with higher/steeper grades and far more mountainous curves compared to 40. 70 could have ended at 25 and wouldn’t hinder the flow of commerce as much as you think. I have driven that stretch of 70 and the volume of trucks west of Denver is far less than most other interstates I’ve traveled on. The only other interstate with fewer big rigs is 25 north of Casper.

No they don't. I am a truck driver, and when I drove OTR, I was required to take 15 to 70 to go from LA to Denver, as it's 250 miles shorter than taking 40 to 25. You don't know what you're talking about

And yes I know that 70 crosses the Rockies, and I always hated it, but the trucking companies aren't going to pay for an extra 40 gallons of diesel fuel (an extra $120 in fuel alone) for one load just so a truck can avoid Vail Pass. Again, have you driven a truck? Doesn't sound like you ever have. If 70 ended in Denver, trucks would be using US 50 or US 6 to get to 15

[Fastphilly]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

No they don't. I am a truck driver, and when I drove OTR, I was required to take 15 to 70 to go from LA to Denver, as it's 250 miles shorter than taking 40 to 25. You don't know what you're talking about

And yes I know that 70 crosses the Rockies, and I always hated it, but the trucking companies aren't going to pay for an extra 40 gallons of diesel fuel (an extra $120 in fuel alone) for one load just so a truck can avoid Vail Pass. Again, have you driven a truck? Doesn't sound like you ever have. If 70 ended in Denver, trucks would be using US 50 or US 6 to get to 15

Time is as important as fuel and you have to weigh the two together. It seems your trucking company has different policies because I drove for CRST and we were directed 40/25. I should point out this was during the winter months. Raton Pass is a pain but far better than via 70.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by Fastphilly

Time is as important as fuel and you have to weigh the two together. It seems your trucking company has different policies because I drove for CRST and we were directed 40/25. I should point out this was during the winter months. Raton Pass is a pain but far better than via 70.

I drove for a couple companies OTR, and both made you go a pre-planned route that would use the least fuel, so for LA to Denver, it was 15 to 70. I would ask to get routed 40 to 25, as I hated Vail Pass, but they always said no, due to the 250 extra miles. It's exactly 1,000 miles using 15 to 70, and 1,250 using 15 to 40 to 25.

Plus, any Las Vegas to Denver loads, you had no choice but to use 15 to 70, as going down to 40 or up to 80 adds 200-300 miles to that drive

Raton Pass is fairly easy. I used to do Phoenix to Denver a lot. Hard passes are Vail, Tehachapi and Donner

[nickinNC]

cross NV, enter FRESNO, Go up CA99, to route 152 to Los Banos, and into Gilroy then US 101 north to San Jose.
The route from San Jose to I-5 via Gilroy is very truck heavy and is already mostly freeway already.
unfortunately, Nevada has no reason to build a very expensive interstate across their desert. They can barely pay for I-11 going north/south.