I-70 and trucks

[Mike from back east]

IMO it's six of one and a half dozen of the other as far as how much truck traffic you'll get so I'd just take I-40 all the way east and just after Knoxville you can hit I-81 and take it up the valley which is an area I am familiar with.

Only issue is getting from Chandler to I-40, i.e., take Rte 87 all the way to Winslow or take 87/260/277/377 to Holbrook to pickup I-40. I've never driven any of these state routes and have no idea what they're like. Taking I-17 all the way to Flagstaff before heading east seems like going out of your way compared to driving diagonally northeast via the state highways.

It seems that heading up 191 to beyond Moab before heading east takes you way out of your way and then you have to drive I-70 through the mountains and through Denver.

The I-40 routing gives you the option of heading northeast once you hit Oklahoma City, or just stay on I-40 and go northeast up the valley after Knoxville.

I would expect the more southern route has the fewer winter weather issues. There can be tremendous snowstorms on I-70 all the way across Colorado and Kansas.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Sorry for the confusion. We'll be in Chandler, AZ and I prefer to come up 191 to Crescent Junction then start east but I know this is likely not wise so we'll likely do 40 to Albuquerque then 70 barring unusual weather predictions for the area. We are in a Ford 150 4x4 and I worked 30 years as a LEO driving in snow as obviously I was essential. That said, I still don't want to be stuck somewhere due to weather.

I need to do a better job proofing my work. From Albuquerque I'd do 25 do Denver.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

IMO it's six of one and a half dozen of the other as far as how much truck traffic you'll get so I'd just take I-40 all the way east and just after Knoxville you can hit I-81 and take it up the valley which is an area I am familiar with.

Only issue is getting from Chandler to I-40, i.e., take Rte 87 all the way to Winslow or take 87/260/277/377 to Holbrook to pickup I-40. I've never driven any of these state routes and have no idea what they're like. Taking I-17 all the way to Flagstaff before heading east seems like going out of your way compared to driving diagonally northeast via the state highways.

It seems that heading up 191 to beyond Moab before heading east takes you way out of your way and then you have to drive I-70 through the mountains and through Denver.

The I-40 routing gives you the option of heading northeast once you hit Oklahoma City, or just stay on I-40 and go northeast up the valley after Knoxville.

I would expect the more southern route has the fewer winter weather issues. There can be tremendous snowstorms on I-70 all the way across Colorado and Kansas.

Yeah we live in the Shenandoah Valley so 81 is all too familiar to us. Tomorrow we leave Albuquerque and head to Chandler and we'll drop down through Payson for the shortest route. Weather is good so no issues going through the mountains. Everything on the way back is so up in the air.

[md21722]

I-81 got better after Virginia put up those huge signs that say if you can't do the speed limit use the right lane only. Anyone remember the Yellow doubles that would tie up both lanes with one going 50 and the other going 51? Doesn't happen as much anymore. I-40 got bad when they started speed governing trucks and it seems to get worse the closer you get to California.

As others have said, winter weather is a major issue in traveling this time of year. I-70 has more issues with winter weather than I-40. Through the Colorado mountains the road can close frequently for short periods for snow clean up and wreck clean up. But crews work hard to keep the road open. If the weather is clear, I-70 tends to move well day or night from Utah to Silverthorne. From Silverthorne to Denver, Sunday is like all day rush hour because of people heading back to town from the mountains. 20 years ago it wasn't until the afternoon, but now return traffic is bad morning until maybe 8-9pm. When you get out on the Colorado Eastern plains and into Western Kansas, blizzards will close I-70 until the wind stops blowing. It is not uncommon for I-70 to be closed for hundreds of miles. There won't be much traffic and trucks cutting in front of you won't be a major concern. Heavy wind can make the drive difficult though. Trucks and heavy volume of traffic are a major annoyance in Missouri during daylight hours. It is best to cross Missouri later at night.

I cannot speak to traffic on I-70 farther East than St. Louis because I haven't driven it in 20 years. I am familiar with I-64 between Saint Louis and Charleston, WV. I've travelled it many times on the way to Raleigh. I don't find the trucks annoying like on I-40. Depending on where in the Shenandoah Valley you are, I-64 may be a good route.

One other thing, Colorado roads are not well maintained compared to other states. In the heavy tourist areas between Glenwood and Denver they are decent, but on either side of that, quality drops off. Utah and Kansas both have excellent roads and Missouri keeps I-70 in good condition. The road in Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia are in good condition.

Somewhere I-25 was mentioned. I would not recommend trying to go between Albq. and Denver on I-25. Traffic is light South of Pueblo, but gets progressively worse past there. Consider US 287 as an alternative to rush hour, etc. It's a heavy truck route between Dallas, TX and Denver, CO. The Colorado section is silky smooth concrete, probably the nicest road in the state and it moves well. The truckers keep it moving 68-72 mph. For them it avoids going all the way Albq. and then over Raton Pass and a bunch of long steep hills on I-25.

[Rogarven]

Yes,I-70 west of Denver is not my favorite interstate. Been there a couple of times and, like it has been posted above, it was like rush hour and the mountain grades and tunnels are not fun , IMHO. I do know that they can close 1-40 in the winter east of Tucumcari and points east of ABQ but certainly better than I-70. Maybe the OP just wants different scenery.

[Vision67]

No timeline for reopening of I-70 at Glenwood Canyon

Heavy traffic reported on alternate route

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/07/2...e-flash-flood/

"Both eastbound and westbound sides of Interstate 70 remain closed in Glenwood Canyon due to heavy debris flow near and at the roadway, officials said Friday.

There are closures at Exit 87 in West Rifle, Exit 109 at Canyon Creek, Exit 116 in Glenwood Springs and Exit 133 in Dotsero, due to flash flooding potential in the Grizzly Creek burn scar, which was created by widespread wildfire last year and has seen heavy rain in the past day.

This is the latest in a series of closures in the area this summer.

The Colorado Department of Transportation offered no timeline for reopening, but officials said it appears westbound travel could reopen faster than eastbound travel will, possibly later today."


Expect I-70 through Glenwood Canyon to be intermittently closed until the snow flies.

Check with CDOT for the latest real time road conditions: https://www.cotrip.org/map.htm

Also, load their app for easy access.

[Vision67]

More than 20 rescued from tunnel on Colorado's I-70 after storm in Glenwood Canyon

https://gazette.com/news/traffic/mor...dfde0fdea.html

"The closure of Interstate 70 is expected to last through the weekend, the Colorado Department of Transportation said, as efforts Thursday night and Friday emphasized rescuing roughly 108 motorists stranded overnight in Glenwood Canyon by debris.

The closure shut down exits 87 (West Rifle), 109 (Canyon Creek), 116 (Glenwood Springs) and 133 (Dotsero), after debris flowed onto the highway in around ten different places.

Debris trapped around 29 people inside a tunnel Thursday evening before full closures were implemented, Garfield County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. In all, 108 motorists throughout Glenwood Canyon had to be evacuated or moved to a safe location due to debris flows."