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Posted on | June 27, 2008 at 10:06 pm | Comments Off
I’ve been waiting for this for almost twenty years.
Yesterday, they finally opened up the new C-470/Alameda interchange, which makes it a lot faster/easier for me to get onto the highway closest to my home. This interchange has been rumored practically ever since I moved in, 18 years ago. I had begun to give up hope. Then, late last year or early this year, I started seeing articles in the paper and such that made it look like it was going to be reality. Then they actually began construction a few months ago. And now it’s done! Or at least open for traffic… they still have a little work to do.
Even though residents in the area have been clamoring for this for years, I think it was the imminent occupation of the Solterra development (which I blogged about here) that finally spurred TPTB into production. I’ll bet Carma and company pressed whoever they needed in order to make it easier for people to access their new faux “classic European hilltown community”. Also, the 2008 Denver Parade of Homes, which starts at the end of July, is being hosted there, so I think it’s more than a little coincidental that the interchange got constructed right before that.
But I’m not complaining. The new interchange fixes a serious design flaw of C-470, namely that the first exit when you get on the highway from I-70 is Morrison Rd, a whopping four miles down. Alameda is barely one mile down. I hated driving down C-470 and looking at the hills over to the left, realizing my house was not too far behind them, yet knowing that I had to go all the way down to Morrison Rd and around that whole area in order to get home. All told, the new exit probably only shaves about 2.5 – 3 miles off the route to I-70/6th Ave, but every little bit helps.
I’ve even checked it out to see if using the highways to get to/from 6th Avenue shortens my work commute. I took that route on the way home yesterday and on the way to work today, during curiously un-busy rush hours. Even though it’s taking the long way around to get downtown (essentially going west for awhile when my ultimate destination is east) and adding around 3-4 miles to the commute, it still takes about the same amount of time as when I take one of the heavily stoplighted main drags (like Union or Kipling) to get to 6th Avenue. And the highway driving is a lot less stressful for me.
Still, those extra miles bother me in this high gas price/climate change era we find ourselves in. So I’m not sure yet how often I’m going to use this route. It’s pretty likely I’ll use it on the commute home if I drive during rush hour, because those southbound stoplighted streets really back up every weekday afternoon. Going that way, it usually takes me nearly twice as long for the evening commute than it does for the morning one. So the prospect of shaving some 15 minutes or so off my evening commute is a juicy one. Maybe I’ll stick to the stop-and-go roads for the morning ride and save myself a little gas. (The Prius don’t pollute much when idling.)
I liked that they took the environmental concerns into account when building the interchange and that they’re going to pains to preserve and even enhance the C-470 bike trail. But mostly I just like the fact that I have more options now. It opens up a whole new world for me. Even going to the local megaplex movie theater will now be faster, so I’ll miss fewer pre-flick commercials. Although who knows what’s going to happen once people start moving into the new development and the retail space starts getting filled and all that. The increase in traffic may negate the benefits of the new exchange. But at least I’ll be able to enjoy it for a little while.
Latre.
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 61°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “Anti-Anti” (Snowden)
- “Planets” (Teenage Fanclub)
- “Here It Is Tomorrow” (Game Theory)
- “Love 1″ (Guided By Voices)
- “The Conversation” (Twilight Singers)
- “TV” (Headlights)
- “Perfect Day” (Duran Duran)
- “De Chirico Street” (Robyn Hitchcock)
- “The Girls Want To Be With The Girls” (Talking Heads)
Cool E-mail Received Today: “This is a reminder that nobody is allowed in the break room after Jesus starts waxing the floor.”