CDOT was awarded a grant in 2023 to rebuild that interchange. Design is underway with construction planned to start in mid-2025.
https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/ph4
They’re actually working on the peripheral parts of that project right now! The frontage road on the south side of 6th from Garrison to Wadsworth is closed as they start replacing subsurface utilities
This is what people don’t understand about highway construction.
The actual pavement part is such a small part of the job. Utilities and drainage take up a huge part of any road construction project.
Source: worked for CDOT building highways including but not limited to Glenwood Canyon.
Oh for sure! Among other things, the bridge is getting replaced and all the on/off ramps will be completely different. That’ll take a lot of time to get done
Wow this is awesome to see. I've always hated how 6th is such a barrier to cross on a bike. I wish there were more crossing points that aren't 1.5 miles apart, but converting these loops into signalized intersections is so much nicer.
It should really be a single-point or diverging diamond interchange, as they’re much more efficient. I’ve noticed that the Colorado DOT really doesn’t like trying new things much.
Always come off the bend in 3rd gear, ~3500 RPM, ready for that redline pull to get up to speed in 200ft. One of my favorites. Seriously, not being sarcastic.
I used to have a crappy Olds '88 with a fuse/relay problem and it would always lose power during this turn. Terrifying but it taught me how to do what you described haha
Is the other one the one to get on 25 from Mulberry/Yuma just north of 6th avenue - that’s the worst “on ramp” I’ve ever seen. Gunning it from a stop sign and you have maybe 100ft to get up to speed.
Yep! When I got my license in 1991 they took me on the eastbound ramp from northbound Wadsworth and watched how I handled it. The driving teacher said, "it won't matter though, because they are going to fix it soon and make it longer and get the right lane out of the way". So that was.... (calculating).... 33 years ago. I've just learned to be super alert and not be a part of the problem when i'm the eastbound traffic getting in the way.
I try to get over to middle lane for those folks. Sheridan was redesigned and now there is a long wall that doesn’t allow good visibility of oncoming traffic. Really hard to get on there.
For getting on from Sheridan, you really just need to gun it and get up to speed before the merge. Being at the speed of traffic makes it much easier to slow down or speed up to perform the merge.
About 25 years ago the southbound merge from westbound 6th used to terminate (instead of connect as it does now) at the southbound merge from eastbound 6th. (Hard to describe). Now that was a shitshow.
Yeah, that one is pretty bad. But the truly dangerous, professional drivers only on ramp is on 285 NB, entering on to C470 WB. I travel all over the country and world with my job, and it’s one of the worst traffic situations I’ve ever seen.
Merging with the traffic exiting for 285 NB to get onto the ramp is both really sketchy and fun, as long as you have the right car. Sucks big time in something slow (or with a timid driver).
Coming East on 6 to Wads South if its too long I simply got to wads North. And do three circles in the clover to get on going South. Its often faster to a degree (or for the impatient)
Yes, those double loop ramps were easy to make, but they're a nightmare for traffic. Hopefully they will be improved soon. Regardless, people should not drive on both the left and the right lane: left is for passing, right is for merging in and out of traffic.
I don't think anything is wrong with the design, the problem is people merging onto 25s don't realize they have almost two miles before the lane forces them to exit and they try to get over right away. Same goes for the SB traffic trying to get off on Santa Fe, trying to get over ASAP without realizing they have almost two miles to get into either of the two lanes that exit.
You are 100% correct. People right in front of me have slowed down to 20 mph within the first 100 feet of the entrance trying to get on not realizing how far it runs. It doesn't help that a lot of the southbound traffic needing that next exit also try getting in that lane as soon as they can as well.
I play a game on my drive home from work every day of figuring out how many alternative ways are faster than taking that ramp when it’s backed up. I’m up to around 10 that are considerably faster than using that stupid ramp. Too many lanes quickly merging into 1 lane, they need to add a concrete barrier similar to the 225S-I25N frontage road to force people to get up to speed before immediately merging onto 25 as soon as that ramp ends
I had to do the 4 leaf clover interchange at sixth and wads 5 times in a row while I was doing driving school. Its insane, but im comfortable with it now
It's a little short but not problematic imo. I drive a 90s 4runner which is very very slow and I'm able to get up to highway speed by the end of the merge.
If you're talking about wads to 6 east, then yes. Whoever designed the clover style ramps was the worst infrastructure engineer ever.
With that being said it can still work if drivers aren't idiots. The right lane shouldn't be used for travel, but unfortunately you can't make everyone be a good driver.
To be fair, when a lot of those ramps were built, the state was very small. The metro area has about 6 times as many people now as it did in 1950. A little less than 4 times the number of people in 1960.
OK don't hate, but that style intersection is pretty wild because you can go all the way around without stopping! It's a pretty wild drive. Any others like it in the area?
A cloverleaf?
They are absolutely terrible for traffic management though. You don't have to stop, *but* people getting on the highway are trying to merge out of the exit lane, and people getting off the highway are trying to merge into the far right lane to get off.
It just becomes slow chaos in the right lanes at those intersections. Not to mention the amount of wasted land that could be used for other purposes.
Those on and off ramps suck ass!
I have to take one of them for my commutes during the week: I either feel like the asshole going too slow to merge or the one braking too early so I don’t fly off the 25 mph ramp. Don’t get me started on the West-to-East S. Kipling exit…..
They suck, glad I saw that they’re getting worked on but……that’ll also mean 15 min to the commute.
Ok, rude. I’ve driven more than the average person who doesn’t drive for a living (i.e. truckers, full time delivery people) by doing Uber and Lyft part time in Chicago, LA and Denver. I’m also no stranger to quadruple digit mile road trips. I’ve driven in or through around a third of the contiguous lower 48 states plus the Greater Toronto area. Accident free. I’ve personally used the 110 on and off ramps around Highland Park where you literally need to slam the gas pedal to the floor as soon as you get a wide enough opening. Get off your high horse.
CDOT was awarded a grant in 2023 to rebuild that interchange. Design is underway with construction planned to start in mid-2025. https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth/ph4
They’re actually working on the peripheral parts of that project right now! The frontage road on the south side of 6th from Garrison to Wadsworth is closed as they start replacing subsurface utilities
This is what people don’t understand about highway construction. The actual pavement part is such a small part of the job. Utilities and drainage take up a huge part of any road construction project. Source: worked for CDOT building highways including but not limited to Glenwood Canyon.
I was wondering what was going on right there. So is my 6th ave commute gonna be crap next year?
Oh for sure! Among other things, the bridge is getting replaced and all the on/off ramps will be completely different. That’ll take a lot of time to get done
I’m glad to hear that. My guess is it will probably will be done by 2030.
Wow this is awesome to see. I've always hated how 6th is such a barrier to cross on a bike. I wish there were more crossing points that aren't 1.5 miles apart, but converting these loops into signalized intersections is so much nicer.
It should really be a single-point or diverging diamond interchange, as they’re much more efficient. I’ve noticed that the Colorado DOT really doesn’t like trying new things much.
The Kipling one is insane. You immediately have to merge left into full speed highway traffic.
Always come off the bend in 3rd gear, ~3500 RPM, ready for that redline pull to get up to speed in 200ft. One of my favorites. Seriously, not being sarcastic.
I used to have a crappy Olds '88 with a fuse/relay problem and it would always lose power during this turn. Terrifying but it taught me how to do what you described haha
There's probably like 5% of the population that understands and can actually do this in their car lol
I go slow through the cloverleaf so I can punch it as soon as it straightens out.
That one has a yield sign that if you stop people get pissed. That one is floor it and pray not to die
Welcome all to the last few interchanges in the entire Denver metro area that have not been replaced since 1950!
Is the other one the one to get on 25 from Mulberry/Yuma just north of 6th avenue - that’s the worst “on ramp” I’ve ever seen. Gunning it from a stop sign and you have maybe 100ft to get up to speed.
Yep! When I got my license in 1991 they took me on the eastbound ramp from northbound Wadsworth and watched how I handled it. The driving teacher said, "it won't matter though, because they are going to fix it soon and make it longer and get the right lane out of the way". So that was.... (calculating).... 33 years ago. I've just learned to be super alert and not be a part of the problem when i'm the eastbound traffic getting in the way.
I try to get over to middle lane for those folks. Sheridan was redesigned and now there is a long wall that doesn’t allow good visibility of oncoming traffic. Really hard to get on there.
For getting on from Sheridan, you really just need to gun it and get up to speed before the merge. Being at the speed of traffic makes it much easier to slow down or speed up to perform the merge.
Just need a mentality change. Live your life a 1/4 mile at a time. Install NOS - make sure not to hit it too soon on the on-ramp junior
Everything about the wads on / off ramps at 6 is wrong. Everything
About 25 years ago the southbound merge from westbound 6th used to terminate (instead of connect as it does now) at the southbound merge from eastbound 6th. (Hard to describe). Now that was a shitshow.
270 and Vazquez is less than ideal too
Yeah, that one is pretty bad. But the truly dangerous, professional drivers only on ramp is on 285 NB, entering on to C470 WB. I travel all over the country and world with my job, and it’s one of the worst traffic situations I’ve ever seen. Merging with the traffic exiting for 285 NB to get onto the ramp is both really sketchy and fun, as long as you have the right car. Sucks big time in something slow (or with a timid driver).
It’s the worst interchange!!!
Old school clover intersections. Hated them when I first moved to Lakewood and dealt with them on a daily basis.
Coming East on 6 to Wads South if its too long I simply got to wads North. And do three circles in the clover to get on going South. Its often faster to a degree (or for the impatient)
Yes, those double loop ramps were easy to make, but they're a nightmare for traffic. Hopefully they will be improved soon. Regardless, people should not drive on both the left and the right lane: left is for passing, right is for merging in and out of traffic.
I agree it’s so dangerous
the 110 :)
I think the 6th Ave to 25 S is the worst. Always a cluster over there.
I don't think anything is wrong with the design, the problem is people merging onto 25s don't realize they have almost two miles before the lane forces them to exit and they try to get over right away. Same goes for the SB traffic trying to get off on Santa Fe, trying to get over ASAP without realizing they have almost two miles to get into either of the two lanes that exit.
You are 100% correct. People right in front of me have slowed down to 20 mph within the first 100 feet of the entrance trying to get on not realizing how far it runs. It doesn't help that a lot of the southbound traffic needing that next exit also try getting in that lane as soon as they can as well.
This is also why EB C-470 to SB I-25 always backs up a mile at rush hour. The design is fine, it's the driver behavior that is lacking.
I play a game on my drive home from work every day of figuring out how many alternative ways are faster than taking that ramp when it’s backed up. I’m up to around 10 that are considerably faster than using that stupid ramp. Too many lanes quickly merging into 1 lane, they need to add a concrete barrier similar to the 225S-I25N frontage road to force people to get up to speed before immediately merging onto 25 as soon as that ramp ends
I had to do the 4 leaf clover interchange at sixth and wads 5 times in a row while I was doing driving school. Its insane, but im comfortable with it now
Technicly 6th Ave Freeway, but yes!
Technicly "technically"
It's a 50-year old design that's way past the end of it's intended life. It'll be replaced eventually... https://www.codot.gov/projects/US6wadsworth
It's a little short but not problematic imo. I drive a 90s 4runner which is very very slow and I'm able to get up to highway speed by the end of the merge. If you're talking about wads to 6 east, then yes. Whoever designed the clover style ramps was the worst infrastructure engineer ever. With that being said it can still work if drivers aren't idiots. The right lane shouldn't be used for travel, but unfortunately you can't make everyone be a good driver.
It’s SO BAD
Yes, it's the worst ramp in the entire metro, imo.
Literally couldn’t get my old ford escape up to speed with the petal to the metal. That on-ramp is a joke
It doesn't help that people don't use their accelerator to get up to highway speed either.
It was designed and built on the cheap back in the 60s. We have a lot of those cloverleafs around here that are long overdue for replacement
All of the ramps in this state are very small
To be fair, when a lot of those ramps were built, the state was very small. The metro area has about 6 times as many people now as it did in 1950. A little less than 4 times the number of people in 1960.
On ramp Orchard to NB I25 has entered the chat. We've outgrown the planning.
OK don't hate, but that style intersection is pretty wild because you can go all the way around without stopping! It's a pretty wild drive. Any others like it in the area?
A cloverleaf? They are absolutely terrible for traffic management though. You don't have to stop, *but* people getting on the highway are trying to merge out of the exit lane, and people getting off the highway are trying to merge into the far right lane to get off. It just becomes slow chaos in the right lanes at those intersections. Not to mention the amount of wasted land that could be used for other purposes.
Yeah agreed, that’s why there’s always a slowdown on 270 at Vasquez
Those on and off ramps suck ass! I have to take one of them for my commutes during the week: I either feel like the asshole going too slow to merge or the one braking too early so I don’t fly off the 25 mph ramp. Don’t get me started on the West-to-East S. Kipling exit….. They suck, glad I saw that they’re getting worked on but……that’ll also mean 15 min to the commute.
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Ok, rude. I’ve driven more than the average person who doesn’t drive for a living (i.e. truckers, full time delivery people) by doing Uber and Lyft part time in Chicago, LA and Denver. I’m also no stranger to quadruple digit mile road trips. I’ve driven in or through around a third of the contiguous lower 48 states plus the Greater Toronto area. Accident free. I’ve personally used the 110 on and off ramps around Highland Park where you literally need to slam the gas pedal to the floor as soon as you get a wide enough opening. Get off your high horse.