Expect Additional Traffic on I-70 for MLK Weekend

Travel Advisory

January 15, 2019

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding drivers to anticipate heavier than normal traffic along the Interstate 70 corridor and connecting highways for the next few days, as people hit the road for the three-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Winter recreational traffic traditionally increases beginning with the MLK holiday and continues through mid-April. Factors include additional snowfall, the upcoming Presidents Day weekend and spring break in the latter half of March.

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

2019	Westbound	Eastbound	Total
Friday, January 18	28,151	14,698	42,849
Saturday, January 19	26,642	21,254	47,896
Sunday, January 20	20,378	26,698	47,076
Monday, January 21	14,750	26,334	41,084
Total	89,921	88,894	178,905

To help enhance safety and coinciding with the MLK weekend, CDOT is releasing a new travel resource for tourists. Since Colorado has unique weather and travel conditions, CDOT’s new brochure contains tips for visitors to the state, especially when they venture to the mountains. It includes information on:

Colorado’s Traction Law
Avoiding traffic delays
Using Express Lanes
Driving in snow
How to use roundabouts
State laws on texting, buckling up and impaired driving

"Driving in Colorado can be tricky, " said Shoshana Lew, CDOT's executive director. "We have unpredictable weather, wildlife that cross our roads and many roundabouts to navigate. This brochure will help Colorado visitors learn the tricks of the trade and help them get to their destination safely so they can enjoy our beautiful state."

The new brochure (https://www.codot.gov/travel/assets/tourist-driving-brochure_final.pdf) will be available at Welcome Centers and Visitor Centers across the state beginning this weekend. In addition, Enterprise, National and Alamo rental car companies will be handing out the brochure to its rental customers at DIA over the MLK weekend.

“Colorado's spectacular winter offerings attract visitors from across the country and the globe, including lots of people who have never seen snow," said Colorado Tourism Office Director Cathy Ritter. “These winter driving tips will be valuable in so many ways, including helping travelers make good decisions about whether it's a good idea to drive or use some other form of transportation."

Drivers can get the latest travel conditions by calling 511 or at: