More Traffic Expected for Holiday Weekend

January 18, 2013 - Central Eastern Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding drivers to anticipate heavier than normal traffic this weekend, especially in mountainous areas, as people take advantage of the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

“This is the time of year, we really start seeing the traffic numbers go up, especially on Interstate 70 west of Denver, primarily because more people are taking advantage of Colorado’s wonderful winter outdoor activities,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Tony DeVito. “With the snowiest month ahead of us combined with a few three-day weekends and spring break, motorists can expect significantly more traffic on the mountain highways, not just this weekend, but through the end of March.”

Traffic on I-70 west typically increases on the Friday prior to the MLK weekend, with westbound traffic expected to be heavier than normal today and Saturday and eastbound I-70 traffic heavier on Sunday and Monday.

Last year’s MLK weekend vehicles counts at the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels were as follows:

2012	Westbound	Eastbound	Total
Friday, January 13, 2012	23,853	14,699	38,552
Saturday, January 14, 2012	19,566	15,272	34,838
Sunday, January 15, 2012	15,787	21,434	37,221
Monday, January 16, 2012	11,729	19,748	31,477
Total	70,935	71,153	142,088

Colorado highway information is available at all times on the cotrip.org website or by calling 511. Updates also are offered via e-mail. Please visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the cell-phone icon in the upper right corner. The link takes you to a list of subscription items including a list that is specific to travel on the I-70 west corridor during weekends and holidays.

CDOT also has launched a new smartphone application to provide drivers with easier access to I-70 traveler information. It includes travel speeds and times, road conditions, incidents, road work; and feeds from CDOT's closed-circuit television cameras and alerts. Text CDOT to 25827 or download CDOT Mobile from your App store.

In partnership with CDOT, Radio station KYSL (93.9 FM Summit County; 93.1 Vail & 92.3 Clear Creek County) will be providing frequent traffic reports for the I-70 west corridor during peak hours, approximately 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, throughout the remainder of the ski season. The reports will include road conditions, estimated travel times and up-to-the-minute information on traffic accidents and backups.