278 pictures taken today, starting on odometer 94811.
As you remember from yesterday, US 6 exists in Colorado as multiple pieces,
some signed, some not.
Dale Sanderson and Andy Field sent me several suggested pieces of
current and old alignment to check out,
but not all of the old sections were
possible to cover due to time constraints as the July 4th
traffic in the mountains was insufferable.
Back to Fruita and the first view of the Colorado River from I-70 (after US
6 diverged at Mack). This won't be the last, I assure you. I-70 hugs it
pretty tightly for 200+ miles.
Overlooking part of the Colorado on I-70/US 6 west of Palisade.
The old roadbed of US 6 primarily follows the EB lanes of I-70, which is
convenient. However, there's an old stretch (labeled as "Old I-70" on NAVTEQ)
past exit 49 simply called "PARKING AREA" which bypasses the tunnels. This is
looking at the river. I-70 is passing through the rock formation in front.
An unsigned section that really is US 6 exists between exits 62 and 75.
Interestingly, although it does not have US 6 shields or mile markers, CDOT
does "sign" it on their depots (as Hwy 6). It crosses I-70 several times,
including here. US 6 jumps back on I-70 at 75, but frontage road runs
continuous with the next stretch of US 6 after that.
The next US 6 portion is in Rifle from exit 87 to exit 109. Note the old
bridge in the background, the old Christopher Collyer Memorial Bridge, the
original US 6 crossing first built in 1908.
Out through the end of this alignment towards Glenwood Springs, where it
will hop back on I-70 for a spur alignment in town around exit 114.
I-70 (and parts US 6) through Glenwood Canyon is an amazing achievement. The
EB lanes run in the canyon floor with the WB lanes on an upper alignment and
the indefatigable Colorado River in the middle.
The rain had come back in a big way by this point.
Some of the oxide in the hills on the US 6 alignment between Gypsum and
Minturn.
I-70 (and unsigned modern US 6)
through Vail and Vail Pass, which didn't originally exist in the days
of original US 6. US 6 was first routed down US 24 to Leadville, and then
up CO 91 and a now-obliterated route to Frisco, where part of old US 6 remains
as business alignment. The Dillon
Reservoir (a/k/a Lake Dillon)
covers most of the end of it. Dale has pictures of the roadbed in
the lake when the water level was low.
US 6 is in there somewhere.
Before the construction of the Eisenhower Tunnels (more on that in a second),
the only way through the Continental Divide in this region was over
Loveland Pass along US 6.
Here is some dude at 11,990' mugging for the camera. He's such a ham.
In 1968, construction on new vehicular crossings to replace the Loveland
Pass began (obviously unsuitable for large traffic volumes), and in 1973 the
first of the I-70 tunnels was opened, the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel. The
Eisenhower and Johnson Tunnels are the highest vehicular tunnels in the
world, at 11,013' for the east portal (Eisenhower) and 11,158' for the west
(Johnson). The Eisenhower, of course, is named for President Dwight Eisenhower,
the father of the modern Interstate system.
This is the Eisenhower, shot at great personal risk as there are no places
to pull over and lots of angry people if you try to stop (and cameras trying
to find out why people are taking pictures in the tunnel). In 1975, the second
bore was started and opened in 1979, named for former Colorado governor and
Senator Edwin Johnson. Each tunnel is over a mile long, 1.693 miles for the
Eisenhower and 1.697 for the Johnson, with large ventilation systems to ensure
proper airflow.
So why does Loveland Pass remain as busy as it does? Well, ski traffic for
one, and the fact that oversize or hazardous cargo is not allowed through
the tunnels. We'd rather they just fell off the mountain instead, I guess.
By the way, there was still a lot of snow up there, even in July.
US 6 then exits again at exit 244 towards Golden through Clear Creek Canyon
(this being Clear Creek). This was unbelievably choked with cars and no
safe places to pull over.
Similarly, there's nowhere to pull over (much) when US 6 turns into freeway
west of Denver as "Sixth Avenue." It finally ends at I-25 to form an
unsigned multiplex up to US 6/US 85 and leave town. We'll do part of that
tomorrow depending on prevailing traffic.
Family portrait and guest. I'm the good looking one. :)