Quick Denver Trippin'
I had a few hours to kill one day before heading to a friend's house for dinner, so I decided to check out the now-complete TREX Project in Denver. Of course, I had to take my camera along.
Mad pitcure takin' happenin' here.
We're about to be spit out of the Narrows section of I-25 in Denver. The clock in the car says I still have some time to kill, so let's keep heading north and see what else we can find, what say you?
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This shot shows how I-25 angles through a pretty straight street grid through the Narrows. It also shows an interesting nook created with the sound walls.
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The next bridge we sneak under is the Louisiana Street bridge.
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We still have some massively high sound walls here.
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At the Lincoln/Broadway exit. This exit used to be about 1/2 mile further ahead, but to solve the merging issue, planners created one more braided ramp set here.
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Now, the Lincoln/Broadway exit is right where the merge lane enters the I-25 ROW.
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Continuing northward.
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At the base of the onramp. The Narrows section really needs a paint job. There's drab grey as far as the eye can see in here.
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The Logan Street overpass. This is the last bridge that was redone as part of the TREX project.
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A lone vestige of the bygone construction project. This is also where 25 exits the trench it's been in for the last mile or so.
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The northern edge of the TREX Project.
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Completed just about at the same time as the TREX project was a project to replace the quickly dying Broadway viaduct. This bridge used to be 3+3 with no shoulders to speak of. Now, well, just look for yourself!
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Mmmmmm..... wide.
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Any idea what these red boxes are for? There's one about every tenth of a mile on this bridge.
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With the completion of TREX, planners were expecting the new choke point on the northbound side to be around the Santa Fe exit.
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This is where the interstate loses lane 4.
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At the Santa Fe exit. This is where US 85 rejoins the interstate, even though it's not really marked at all.
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This is the only section if interstate 25 in Denver that's still three lanes wide. The merging lane here takes the I back up to 4 lanes. And is that a small oops I see on that merge sign? The merging traffic is coming in from the left after all...
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We're now out of all the construction zones. It's older roads from here on out.
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The original bridge style on the interstate. All the bridges that were replaced in TREX looked something like this one.
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At the 6th Avenue interchange. The 8th Avenue exit is stuck in here, too. US Federal (heh) Route 6 joins the I northbound at this point, so technically we're driving on I-25/US 85/US 87/US 6 at this point, but CDOT, in their infinite wisdom, only has the interstate signed here.
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I-25 then goes right past Invesco Field at Mile High. That's where the Denver Donkey... err... Denver Broncos play. A team that proves that you can't find a good quarterback, no matter how much you can afford.
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We're starting to approach the downtown Denver exits.
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One other thing I wanted to check out is how CDOT signed the HOV/HOT lanes that run in the median of 25. Here's one screen of the VMS advertising the lanes.
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Some of these bridges be hurtin', yo.
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Cash? Who actually carries money around with them anymore, anyways?
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Toll plus $18 for trucks? That seems kinda steep considering the lanes are only about 3 miles long.
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More VMS shenanigans.
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What the ...?
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Aahhh. A new pedestrian bridge.
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HOV lane exit guide.
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More VMS goodness. And a very persistent graffiti artist.
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The exit to the HOV/HOT lanes. Since I have no transponder, there will be no HOT HOV action goin' on today.
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Itty bitty text happening on this MM. I think that was a .5 under the miles.
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Looking at the exit to I-70.
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Who says segregation is dead?
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Closer to the segregation point. The Sign of Fugliness™ there talks about the possible fines you'll get for not following directions. The really small print on the bottom says that bitch-slaps are not out of the question.
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A shot of the new spiffy two-tenth mile markers that sprouted around the I-25/I-70/I-76/US-36 interchange complex. People kept getting lost, I guess.
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More directions on what lane the HOV/HOT lane traffic needs to be in.
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Sporting the kickin' white signs, this is the do-or-die point for the HOV/HOT segregation.
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The HOV/HOT tolling gantry. All open road, baby!
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Looking up at the gantry. Smile!
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Upcoming exits for the HOV/HOT lanes.
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HOV/HOT traffic is once again allowed to weave dramatically.
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The I-76 exit. This is also where traffic wanting to exit at 70th Avenue exits.
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The US 36 exit is quick to follow. This sign bridge gained some (minor) controversy about a year back when CSU-Fort Collins used it in an ad saying there are more lanes and opportunities when you keep going to Fort Collins than when you head to Boulder (CU-Boulder). I found that funny.
- Where to next?
- Page 2
- This trip's Index
- Page 4
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with any of the orginizations listed within this site. I'm just a bored roadgeek with way too much time on his hands. All of the picts in this page are mine and mine alone unless otherwise noted. Remember, kids: stealing is bad, mmmm-k? I get quite pissy if things are taken without telling me. I don't like to be pissy. You won't like it either. If you want to link to this page, that's fine. Please shoot me an email beforehand so I can link to your page as well. K? Thanks. --Ryan
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