Interstate 270 (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
Interstate 270 is a 7 miles (11.3 km) long highway in the northeastern part of the Denver–Aurora Metropolitan Area
in the U.S. state of Colorado
. It overlaps
U.S. Highway 36 (US 36) for its entire length. The western terminus of I-270 is at the interchange with I-25 and US 36. It heads eastward to an interchange with I-76
, where the mileposts reset because of a previous freeway extension. The freeway heads southeast and comes to meet Vasquez Boulevard
, where it enters Commerce City
. The road crosses Quebec Street
before ending at I-70
.
Ground was broken
on the first segment of I-270 in 1965, and the freeway was completed three years later, stretching from I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard. The road was then extended to I-76 two years later. The section between I-25 and I-76 was completed in 1999. Since completion, this section has undergone much construction to renew bridges over Clear Creek
and Washington Street. Because the western end of I-270 is close to the junction of I-25 and I-76, some traffic movements to I-25 can only be made by using I-76.
in Welby
, and is concurrent
with US 36
. The speed limit through the first section is 45 mile per hour. The freeway heads southeastward for about one mile (1.6 km), crossing over Washington Street and State Highway 224
(SH 224), but access is not provided to either road. Mileposts along I-270 reset to zero at the I-76 interchange because it was the original western end of the Interstate. Since the I-76 interchange is close to both I-270's western end and to the I-25 / I-76 interchanges, some movements in the interchange are missing. Eastbound I-270 traffic cannot access westbound I-76, nor can westbound I-76 traffic access eastbound I-270. However, traffic on I-25 can access both westbound I-76 and eastbound I-270, thus completing the missing movements. The three interchanges work together by eliminating bottlenecks caused by redundant interchanges.
Beyond the I-76 interchange, the speed limit increases to 55 mile per hour. The freeway heads southeast and comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with York Street, and crosses the South Platte River
into a commercial area in Adams County
. I-270 enters the city of Commerce City
, running roughly parallel with the nearby Sand Creek
and crossing over SH 265
without an exit. Continuing through the city, the route comes to a cloverleaf interchange
with Vasquez Boulevard, which carries US 85, SH 2
, and US 6
. The freeway heads eastward into Denver
, where it has an exit at SH 35
, a short highway which continues northward along Quebec Street for one mile (1.6 km). Quebec Street provides access for traffic heading to westbound I-70. The route ends shortly thereafter when it merges into I-70.
The freeway is maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT), who is responsible for maintaining and constructing transportation infrastructure in Colorado, including highways. As part of this role, CDOT periodically conducts surveys on their highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2009, CDOT calculated that as few as 56,500 vehicles used I-270 daily east of its western terminus at I-25, and as many as 89,600 vehicles used I-270 daily southeast of York Street in Commerce City. As part of the Interstate Highway System
, the entire route is listed on the National Highway System
, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
near the I-76 interchange were completed. In February 2000, a connection between westbound I-270 and westbound US 36 was completed, as was access between I-76 westbound and I-270 westbound. The eastbound section between US 36 and I-76, including new bridges over Washington Street and Clear Creek, was completed in March 2002 and totaled $8.5 million. Three years later, a flyover ramp was constructed connecting I-25 southbound to I-270 eastbound. However, access between I-270 eastbound and I-76 westbound still does not exist.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Adams
|Welby
|0.000
|0
|
|US 36 is the continuation beyond I-25; no exit to southbound I-25 and no entrance from northbound I-25
|-
|
|1.100
0.000
|1
|
|No eastbound exit from I-270 to westbound I-76; no eastbound entrance to I-270 from westbound I-76
|-
|
|0.385
|
|York Street
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|Commerce City
|2.358
|2
|
|Signed as exits 2A (north) and 2B (south)
|-
|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Denver
|4.569
|4
|
|
|-
|5.986
|
|
|
Denver–Aurora Metropolitan Area
The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in the State of Colorado that includes the City and County of Denver, City of Aurora, and nine suburban counties. The Census Bureau estimates that the population was 2,357,404 on...
in the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It overlaps
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
U.S. Highway 36 (US 36) for its entire length. The western terminus of I-270 is at the interchange with I-25 and US 36. It heads eastward to an interchange with I-76
Interstate 76
Interstate 76 may refer to:* Interstate 76 , an Interstate Highway in the United States, running through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio* Interstate 76 , an Interstate Highway in the United States, running through Nebraska and Colorado...
, where the mileposts reset because of a previous freeway extension. The freeway heads southeast and comes to meet Vasquez Boulevard
Colorado State Highway 2
State Highway 2 is a state highway of the U.S. state of Colorado. It runs for approximately north–south entirely within the urbanized environment of the Denver Metropolitan Area. It is one of the major north–south thoroughfares of east Denver, where it is known as Colorado Boulevard.-Route...
, where it enters Commerce City
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
. The road crosses Quebec Street
Colorado State Highway 35
Colorado State Highway 35, also known as Quebec Street, is a state route in the city of Denver, Colorado. It is long. Its southern end is I-70 and its eastern end is 53rd Place. An expansion was planned but funding has not materialized....
before ending at I-70
Interstate 70 in Colorado
Interstate 70 is a transcontinental Interstate Highway in the United States, stretching from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. In Colorado, the highway traverses an east–west route across the center of the state. In western Colorado, the highway connects the metropolitan areas of Grand...
.
Ground was broken
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
on the first segment of I-270 in 1965, and the freeway was completed three years later, stretching from I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard. The road was then extended to I-76 two years later. The section between I-25 and I-76 was completed in 1999. Since completion, this section has undergone much construction to renew bridges over Clear Creek
Clear Creek (Colorado)
Clear Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. The creek flows through Clear Creek Canyon in the Rocky Mountains directly west of Denver, descending through a long gorge to emerge on the Colorado Eastern Plains where it...
and Washington Street. Because the western end of I-270 is close to the junction of I-25 and I-76, some traffic movements to I-25 can only be made by using I-76.
Route description
I-270 begins at an interchange with I-25Interstate 25
Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
in Welby
Welby, Colorado
Welby is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 12,973 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Welby is located at ....
, and is concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US 36
U.S. Route 36 in Colorado
U.S. Route 36 is a major east–west route in the U.S. state of Colorado, extending from Rocky Mountain National Park to the Kansas state line.-Route description:...
. The speed limit through the first section is 45 mile per hour. The freeway heads southeastward for about one mile (1.6 km), crossing over Washington Street and State Highway 224
Colorado State Highway 224
-Route description:SH 224 runs , starting at an interchange with , heading south on Broadway, then east on 70th Avenue. The highway crosses the South Platte River to an interchange with and ends at a junction with .-Major intersections:...
(SH 224), but access is not provided to either road. Mileposts along I-270 reset to zero at the I-76 interchange because it was the original western end of the Interstate. Since the I-76 interchange is close to both I-270's western end and to the I-25 / I-76 interchanges, some movements in the interchange are missing. Eastbound I-270 traffic cannot access westbound I-76, nor can westbound I-76 traffic access eastbound I-270. However, traffic on I-25 can access both westbound I-76 and eastbound I-270, thus completing the missing movements. The three interchanges work together by eliminating bottlenecks caused by redundant interchanges.
Beyond the I-76 interchange, the speed limit increases to 55 mile per hour. The freeway heads southeast and comes to a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with York Street, and crosses the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
into a commercial area in Adams County
Adams County, Colorado
Adams County is the fifth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 441,603 in 2010 census, a 21.4% increase since 2000 census. Adams County is named for Alva Adams, Governor of the...
. I-270 enters the city of Commerce City
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
, running roughly parallel with the nearby Sand Creek
Sand Creek (Denver, Colorado)
Sand Creek is a tributary that flows into the South Platte River near Commerce City, Colorado. From its source in unincorporated Arapahoe County, it flows through Aurora and Denver before joining the South Platte in Adams County....
and crossing over SH 265
Colorado State Highway 265
State Highway 265 is a Colorado highway linking Denver and Commerce City.-Route description:SH 265 runs , starting at a junction with . The highway goes northwest and ends at a junction with .-Major intersections:...
without an exit. Continuing through the city, the route comes to a cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
with Vasquez Boulevard, which carries US 85, SH 2
Colorado State Highway 2
State Highway 2 is a state highway of the U.S. state of Colorado. It runs for approximately north–south entirely within the urbanized environment of the Denver Metropolitan Area. It is one of the major north–south thoroughfares of east Denver, where it is known as Colorado Boulevard.-Route...
, and US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Colorado
In the U.S. state of Colorado, U.S. Route 6 is an east–west highway stretching from Colorado to Nebraska. Much of the route overlaps other highways in Colorado, and as a result, much of US 6 is unsigned.- Route description :...
. The freeway heads eastward into Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, where it has an exit at SH 35
Colorado State Highway 35
Colorado State Highway 35, also known as Quebec Street, is a state route in the city of Denver, Colorado. It is long. Its southern end is I-70 and its eastern end is 53rd Place. An expansion was planned but funding has not materialized....
, a short highway which continues northward along Quebec Street for one mile (1.6 km). Quebec Street provides access for traffic heading to westbound I-70. The route ends shortly thereafter when it merges into I-70.
The freeway is maintained by the Colorado Department of Transportation
Colorado Department of Transportation
The Colorado Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the State of Colorado of the United States. CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system, including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year...
(CDOT), who is responsible for maintaining and constructing transportation infrastructure in Colorado, including highways. As part of this role, CDOT periodically conducts surveys on their highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of average annual daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2009, CDOT calculated that as few as 56,500 vehicles used I-270 daily east of its western terminus at I-25, and as many as 89,600 vehicles used I-270 daily southeast of York Street in Commerce City. As part of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, the entire route is listed on the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
, a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.
History
I-270 was constructed in several phases, beginning with a section from I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard. Following this section was another part of the freeway from Vasquez Boulevard west to I-76, and finally a section from US 36 to I-76. This last segment has undergone much more construction, including new bridges and ramps at interchanges.Construction
Construction on I-270 began in 1965. The first portion cost about $2.7 million. It opened in 1968, connecting I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard. Two years later, another two-mile (3.2 km) segment connected the portion already in service to I-80S. I-80S became I-76 in 1976. Construction began on the section between I-76 and I-25 in April 1993 and was finished in September 1999, costing $11.4 million. The mileposts were already established when construction took place, so the route was not assigned new mileposts. Completion of this portion largely decreased traffic problems in the area.Improvements
The bridges along westbound I-270 over Washington Street were replaced and finished in the late 1990s, costing $12 million. By the end of 1998, the bridges over Clear CreekClear Creek (Colorado)
Clear Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. The creek flows through Clear Creek Canyon in the Rocky Mountains directly west of Denver, descending through a long gorge to emerge on the Colorado Eastern Plains where it...
near the I-76 interchange were completed. In February 2000, a connection between westbound I-270 and westbound US 36 was completed, as was access between I-76 westbound and I-270 westbound. The eastbound section between US 36 and I-76, including new bridges over Washington Street and Clear Creek, was completed in March 2002 and totaled $8.5 million. Three years later, a flyover ramp was constructed connecting I-25 southbound to I-270 eastbound. However, access between I-270 eastbound and I-76 westbound still does not exist.
Future
As part of the Strategic Transportation Project, CDOT plans to improve the interchange between I-76 and I-270 by adding a flyover ramp from I-270 eastbound to I-76 eastbound in a $15 million project. CDOT intends to install automatic systems for spraying de-icing fluids installed in the pavement on this ramp as well. However, this project is only a proposal and could be changed depending on funding. CDOT also aims to widen the freeway from four up to six lanes between I - 76 and I - 70 by 2025.Exit list
- Mileposts reset at the I-76 junction, which was the original start of the freeway.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Exit
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|Adams
|Welby
Welby, Colorado
Welby is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 12,973 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Welby is located at ....
|0.000
|0
|
|US 36 is the continuation beyond I-25; no exit to southbound I-25 and no entrance from northbound I-25
|-
|
|1.100
0.000
|1
|
|No eastbound exit from I-270 to westbound I-76; no eastbound entrance to I-270 from westbound I-76
|-
|
|0.385
|
|York Street
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|Commerce City
|2.358
|2
|
|Signed as exits 2A (north) and 2B (south)
|-
|rowspan=2 colspan=2|Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
|4.569
|4
|
|
|-
|5.986
|
|
|