Avoid the I-25 gap

[LHS79]

I love it when I get lucky too- buy a lotto ticket!

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

There's no winning this 'fast-slow' driver argument, so let's stop it and get back to discussing how to avoid the I-25 gap.

Thank you.

Yup. Just a warning:

Tomorrow I-25 will be reduced to just one lane northbound in that dreaded section between Monument & Castlerock until 11 am. This will likely cause a bottleneck effect for hours into the afternoon as they are expecting a record high in traffic due to College & University 'move-in' day.

I will be one of them; heading up to CU with a kid & her two carloads of stuff. She's been recruited into the Buffs' marching band, with her three Trombones & all.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

We’ve taken Perry Park Road up to Sedalia several times and then cut over to I-25 through Castle Pines. Perry Park is very scenic.

[Brill]

Took 83 home from the airport 2 weeks ago. Got stuck behind someone going 45 in a 65. When he saw a cop, he slowed down to 40.

[looker009]

Originally Posted by Brill

Took 83 home from the airport 2 weeks ago. Got stuck behind someone going 45 in a 65. When he saw a cop, he slowed down to 40.

people are afraid to get a ticket which results in them driving below speed of normal traffic

[DrDog]

Originally Posted by Brill

Took 83 home from the airport 2 weeks ago. Got stuck behind someone going 45 in a 65. When he saw a cop, he slowed down to 40.

Always find it funny that people think they need to go well below the speed limit when law enforcement is around.

[Vision67]

https://gazette.com/premium/colorado...69573a8f3.html

"Crashes have skyrocketed as the Interstate 25 'Gap' from Monument to Castle Rock has been transformed into an 18-mile obstacle course of lane shifts and Jersey walls.

Since construction began on a $350 million widening, crashes that damaged property but didn't result in injury or death are up about 60%, according to data from Colorado State Patrol.

From Sept. 1, 2018, to the end of 2019, there were 1,506 such crashes on the stretch, compared with 939 crashes during the same 16-month period from 2016-17, the data show.


"You are driving through a work zone — a construction work zone in a place that has had a problem with a high rate of crashes to begin with, particularly with rear-end crashes," said Tamara Rollison, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. "We have instituted a number of safety measures for this."

Crews broke ground on the project after Labor Day in 2018, and it's expected to be completed in 2022, according to CDOT. When it's done, the Gap will have six lanes — the existing four plus a toll lane in each direction that some residents and public officials have decried as double taxation since local money is already helping pay for the widening.

While the roadway has seen a meteoric rise in crashes that cause property damage, there's been little change in the numbers of collisions that hurt or killed people. There were two fatal crashes and 82 injury crashes in 2019. In 2017, there were three crashes in which people died and 69 that caused injuries.

Even before construction began, property damage crashes in the Gap had been steadily increasing since 2014. There were 791 from September 2014 through the end of 2015, according to the state patrol.

"A key reason for the project is to improve safety because that has been a serious problem with the Gap all along," Rollison said.

Shoulders are slimmer and curves are sharper now that crews are at work. Lane shifts have intensified on the middle portion of the Gap, from Greenland Road to Sky View Lane, as construction ramps up on three bridges and a wildlife crossing, Rollison said.

"Right now, we're really in the thick of it because of all the major bridge construction we're doing," she said. "You’re remodeling your house, but you have to live in it too. We have to do this major construction on the roadway, while at the same time we have to continue to operate it so that traffic can continue to use it."

Many of the recent collisions have been caused by drivers following other vehicles too closely. More than two-thirds of accidents in the Gap are rear-end crashes, Rollison said.

"What I can’t stress enough, when you’re driving through the Gap, is to leave ample space between your vehicle and the one ahead," she said.

State officials say they've taken steps to reduce the risk of crashes on the stretch.

The speed limit in the Gap has dropped to a maximum of 60 mph. Electronic signs allow that limit to be lowered further depending on traffic and other circumstances.

Marquees warn drivers of congestion and other adverse conditions ahead, Rollison said.

Transportation officials regularly meet with first responders from local police and fire agencies along the corridor, and the state has heightened the state patrol’s presence in the area.

"On average, we're providing at least an additional trooper just for that stretch of roadway. And if we can, we'll provide more than that," said state patrol Sgt. Blake White. "We know that there’s less margin for error. There’s no shoulders in areas. There’s tighter lanes. People aren’t driving cautiously enough for that area, and that’s really what’s leading to these crashes."

He advised drivers to abide the speed limit and pay attention.

"If somebody slams on their brakes, you have nowhere to go," he said. "You’ve got to slow down and just drive patiently and cautiously. It really is as simple as that.""

[Vision67]

https://gazette.com/news/cdot-and-co...7a976a667.html

CDOT and Colorado State Patrol seek to increase Gap speed enforcement

"Transportation officials and the Colorado State Patrol announced increased speeding enforcement along the 18-mile stretch of the Interstate 25 South Gap corridor, where crashes have skyrocketed the past year.

Representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation and State Patrol met Wednesday to discuss safety along the treacherous stretch of road construction from Monument to Castle Rock — commonly known as the "Gap."

“We’re all responsible for safety in the Gap — the engineers who design and plan the work, construction workers who build it, our crews who plow the snow and maintain the road, first responders who address incidents, and drivers who use the roadway daily,” said Steve Harelson, CDOT chief engineer, in a statement.

Beginning Thursday, the speed limit along the Gap will be reduced from 60 mph to 55 mph during peak travel times: morning and afternoon commutes, and most of the weekend. The limit will also be reduced during storms and when there are crashes, the statement said.

"High speeds and following too closely are the leading causes of crashes along this stretch of roadway, requiring increased education and enforcement — both on the ground and by aircraft," the statement said.

Over the past year, crashes in the Gap rose about 60%, State Patrol data showed.

From Sept. 1, 2018, to the end of 2019, there were 1,506 crashes on the stretch, compared with 939 during the same 16-month period from 2016 to 2017, the data showed.

In response to the increase in crashes, State Patrol will add extra enforcement seven days a week, including by aircraft, transportation officials said.

Two troopers in a plane circle an area with a camera, the statement explained. Using a radio, the airborne troopers alert cruisers on the ground to a speeding vehicle.

"On land or in air, our job is to ensure everyone is as safe as possible when traveling on Colorado roadways," State Patrol Major Tim Keeton said. "But we cannot do it alone. We need every driver to make it their personal responsibility to keep themselves, and others, safe when behind the wheel. And then drive accordingly."

Exceeding the speed limit by 10 to 19 mph in a construction zone can result in fines of more than $300. Drivers can also be ticketed for following too closely with a fine of more than $200.

About 66% of crashes on the Gap are caused by rear-end collisions, according to CDOT.

Crews broke ground on the $350 million Gap project after Labor Day in 2018. It's expected to be completed in 2022, according to CDOT. When it's done, the Gap will have six lanes — the existing four plus a toll lane in each direction.

Between September 2018 and September 2019, State Patrol issued more than 2,070 tickets to Gap drivers, CDOT reported. "