Can Colorado benefit with new interstate (I-27)? (Denver, Colorado Springs: how much, safer)

[Hschlick84]

If CDOT was offered enough grants from the Federal government, could I-27 ever be built by converting parts of US 287 and US 385 from the Colorado/Oklahoma border into I-27? There are some commercial vehicles that travel from Amarillo TX to parts of Nebraska and the Dakotas. How much traffic would it take off I-25 from Trinidad to Cheyenne?

The route for I-27 would go from Campo connect to Lamar, then north to Kit Carson on US 287. From there, it goes slightly east toward Burlington and connects up with US 385. Going north, it meets up at Wray, then to Holyoke, then north through Julesburg.

The purpose of building I-27 is to reduce traffic off state highways, and connect the missing link from Amarillo, TX to Minot, ND.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Can you provide a link to this proposal? Why would this interstate go through Colorado, when it appears Highway 83 (which already runs between Amarillo, TX and Minot, ND) could be converted over to an interstate? What is the pressing need for such an interstate in the first place?

Hard to say if Colorado would benefit without a lot more detail added.

[bluescreen73]

It's the long-talked-about Ports-to-Plains corridor. Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Dakota have already begun upgrading segments of highway along the corridor to near freeway standard. SD-79/US-385 is mostly a 4-lane divided highway from Rapid City to near the SD/NE border, NE-71 has been upgraded from Scottsbluff to Kimball, and a truck bypass was added to US-287 at Boise City, OK.

IMNSHO, if it ever becomes a freeway (which is doubtful considering the massive shortfall in infrastructure funding in this country), the impact on Colorado will be noticeable but it won't be a game changer. US-287 has been used as a trucking corridor between DFW and Limon for decades, and the route is heavily used for passenger travel between Colorado and Texas as well.

https://www.codot.gov/library/studies/ports2plains

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by Indigo Cardinal

Can you provide a link to this proposal? Why would this interstate go through Colorado, when it appears Highway 83 (which already runs between Amarillo, TX and Minot, ND) could be converted over to an interstate? What is the pressing need for such an interstate in the first place?

Hard to say if Colorado would benefit without a lot more detail added.

The purpose of the freeway is to make it a safer route for commercial vehicles and trucks from the southern Texas border to Canada. Utilizing stretches of the highways such as US 287 and US 385, by converting them to I-27.

[Colorado Rambler]

Yeah, it sounds a little vague. Plus where would the money to build it come from? Are the Feds suddenly going to open their pockets and shower Colorado with Golden Eagles? Is the Legislature going to figure out a way around TABOR, so work can begin on this new Interstate? I can think of quite a few existing highways in Colorado that would benefit from some extensive repairs/additional lanes right now, beginning with the truly awful Highway 491 between Dove Creek and Shiprock, NM (needs to be 4 lane -wrecks there all the time). And I-70 ALWAYS seems to be in need of one improvement or another. The last I heard it's still partially closed thanks to that rockslide.

[wong21fr]

Sure, a new bypass interstate would be beneficial for interstate trucking, as would a new N/S train corridor in eastern Colorado, or an expansion of I-70 through the mountains.

But only one of those has any real chance of happening.

[Josseppie]

Highway 50 has a better chance of being upgraded to a interstate as it is already used as a alternative to I-70.

[otowi]

I would really like to see some improvement in our east-west corridors - both Colorado Springs and Denver have one main route west. When it closes due to disaster detours can add hours to a commute rather than minutes.

The Interstate proposal in this thread is fine if the funding is there - could be of economic benefit to the Eastern cities it passes through and relieve some truck traffic on I-25.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Highway 50 has a better chance of being upgraded to a interstate as it is already used as a alternative to I-70.

Doubtful. Building interstate through the mountains is very cost-prohibitive, and Ports-to-Plains has already been identified as a priority corridor by the folks in D.C. We'll probably be long dead before they expand I-70 between Denver and Grand Junction.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Doubtful. Building interstate through the mountains is very cost-prohibitive, and Ports-to-Plains has already been identified as a priority corridor by the folks in D.C. We'll probably be long dead before they expand I-70 between Denver and Grand Junction.

Highway 50 has too from DC to San Francisco. Only one part is through the mountains.