Driving question for CO FBG (1 Viewer)

[Terminalxylem]

I’ll be driving from Telluride to DIA during a weekday morning/early afternoon in mid-February. It looks like the distance and expected drive time going I-70 vs. I-50/285 is nearly identical. Which route is preferable in winter conditions? I’ll be driving an SUV with AWD.

 

[Joe Bryant]

FWIW, you'll have a bigger audience for this in the FFA forum. 

 

[djmich]

FWIW, you'll have a bigger audience for this in the FFA forum. 

Yah but maybe he needs advice and at the same time wants to be called a privileged environment destroying capitalist.

 

[John123]

I haven't done that drive specifically but my thoughts:

1)  As you noted they're almost identical in estimated time.  The most likely differentiator will be traffic/conditions on that specific day.  If I were making that trip I'd be checking the conditions and estimated time at the time of departure via GPS or a mapping app.

2)  I70 can get really congested due to ski traffic.  I285 may have that issue to an extent as well but I'm more familiar with I70 becoming a mess.

3)  Since this is the PSF - If you take I70 you can stop in Rifle CO and go to lunch at Rep. Lauren Boebert's restaurant on your way to DIA.

 

[Terminalxylem]

FWIW, you'll have a bigger audience for this in the FFA forum. 

Oops. I meant to post there. 

 

[Terminalxylem]

I haven't done that drive specifically but my thoughts:

1)  As you noted they're almost identical in estimated time.  The most likely differentiator will be traffic/conditions on that specific day.  If I were making that trip I'd be checking the conditions and estimated time at the time of departure via GPS or a mapping app.

2)  I70 can get really congested due to ski traffic.  I285 may have that issue to an extent as well but I'm more familiar with I70 becoming a mess.

3)  Since this is the PSF - If you take I70 you can stop in Rifle CO and go to lunch at Rep. Lauren Boebert's restaurant on your way to DIA.

1) Figured I’d do this, but really was interested which route is more likely to be impacted by bad weather - mountain passes, number of lanes, etc.

2) Hopefully won’t be a problem during the morning to early afternoon.

3) Yeah, I mis-posted here.

 

[John123]

1) Figured I’d do this, but really was interested which route is more likely to be impacted by bad weather - mountain passes, number of lanes, etc.

I70 has mostly two lanes each direction.  I285 has large chunks that are only one lane each direction outside of about 50 miles from Denver.  That being said, I70 has much higher usage than I285 so having extra lanes may not be beneficial depending on conditions and traffic.

 

[GroveDiesel]

I don’t know much specifically, but I do know even some fairly major roads in the CO mountain areas have sections where chains are required during the winter. Not sure if any of the roads/sections you’re looking at fall into that category, but would obviously be important to know.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I know this is like a 20 year old take, but I still can't get over how the Denver International Airport is barely anywhere near Denver.

 

[Bogart]

Finally a thread that brings the forum together.

 

[John123]

I know this is like a 20 year old take, but I still can't get over how the Denver International Airport is barely anywhere near Denver.

It's really not that far. 

 

[GroveDiesel]

I know this is like a 20 year old take, but I still can't get over how the Denver International Airport is barely anywhere near Denver.

If you’re not actually going into Denver, that’s actually a good thing though, right?

 

[John123]

If you’re not actually going into Denver, that’s actually a good thing though, right?

It really doesn't matter.  We have light rail to the airport.  The airport is actually very forward thinking in it's location and plans.

 

[johnnycakes]

Take this with a grain of salt, as I'm a new resident of Denver as of last October.  I notice on the tv news that I-70 seems to have problems of one sort or another on a fairly regular basis.  But I have no idea about the alternate route.  

 

[dozer]

I lived near Telluride back in the 90's.

In winter I'd take the I-70 route. You'll be on I-70 in about three hours or so and then its a straight, well maintained, four lane highway all the way to the front range.

The high passes on the other diagonal route will slow you down, but it is a great drive when clear.

Both ways are beautiful...

ETA: Straight is kind of relative.... of course you'll head east the whole way, but its still a mountain highway!