Colorado’s widely varying landscape provides drivers an incredibly diverse range of views of the Rocky Mountains from any part of the state, but the roads you travel to get there aren’t always as pleasant. With drastic elevation changes throughout many of these roads, weather can change very quickly and put drivers in unwanted dangerous situations.
These are the roads less travelled than the main highways like I-70 and I-25, but are still very dangerous for drivers. The amount of traffic isn’t extremely high, but the road conditions and ease of driving is significantly higher on small mountain roads that wind deep into the Rocky Mountains. Don’t get caught out on these roads without safety gear and an expert level driver or you might end up needing a Colorado car accident attorney help to navigate your accident claim.
Telluride is a beautiful place that is world famous for its skiing but getting there is not an easy task. If you are coming south from Ouray, CO to Telluride, CO the most direct route is to take Imogene Pass through the mountains(though it’s not a very direct route at all). This road is very tight and most of the distance is above 13,000 ft high, so you know the weather is unpredictable up there. Mix that with high winds and icy roads and your drive is going to be stressful to say the least.
Mount Evans is known for its paved road all the way to the top of a 14,000 ft mountain that is accessible during the summer months to avoid unnecessary accidents. Mount Evans Scenic Bypass has been carefully crafted into the mountain to provide a safe road for tourists to travel easily to the top of a 14er in Colorado, which is a limited task as most mountains do not have access roads that go that high. Starting from the Idaho Springs Visitor Center just off of I-70, the Byway takes you straight to the top of Mount Evans, no hiking required. Get ready for a beautiful drive, but don’t look over the edge!
Another dangerous section of the Million Dollar Highway is Red Mountain Pass that goes all the way up to 11,018 ft at its summit and connects Silverton, CO to Ouray, CO through the mountains. This pass is even worse than the Coal Bank Pass, as it is extremely narrow. So narrow in fact that there is no room for guardrails, so you should probably keep your large vehicles off of this road. With very steep cliffs on your side, this road will make your stomach turn so keep it slow and you should be able to get through safely.
Connecting Idaho Springs at I-70 to Central City, Oh My God Road has rightly earned its name although its proper name is Two Brothers Road as you will see on a map. Very narrow roads and steep cliffs mean you need to take this one slow and steady to come out the other end safely. If you aren’t feeling up to it, there is another route up Central City Parkway that won’t have you scared to look out the window.
Stretching from Utah, through Colorado and all the way out to Maryland, I-70 is a famous interstate highway that is widely used every day for local and interstate travel. Mostly flat in some areas, Colorado gives drivers the most treacherous section of I-70 through the Rocky Mountains. Starting just west of Denver, the elevation rises steeply and turns constantly through the mountains. Starting just west of Denver, the elevation rises steeply and turns constantly through the mountains. Extreme weather is common in this section, especially where you meet the Eisenhower tunnel at 11,518 ft of elevation where white out conditions are common and extremely dangerous when traveling at 55mph. Going through this part is a necessity if you want to make it to all of Colorado’s famous ski resorts. Other heavily trafficked sections across the downtown and Denver metro area are very congested at rush hour times and usually still busy late into the night so be sure to use caution.
Ahh, the dreaded I-25 corridor. We have all driven this nightmare of a highway with its neverending construction and 2 lanes to stuff massive amounts of commuter traffic into and I’m sure we can all agree that the expansion projects and improvements are much needed for our constantly growing state. This road goes north and south across the entire state of Colorado with a typical speed limit of 75 mph(except in some areas) that allows you to move quickly across the front range. Thousands of drivers use this highway every day to commute between Denver, Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, Pueblo and more make rush hour a very dangerous time to be on I-25 with numerous car accidents happening every single day.
This article may tempt you to go drive all of these roads and we encourage you to explore this beautiful state, but please drive with caution as many of these roads have no room for error. In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident during your trip, you’re not sure what to do after a car accident that’s not your fault or even on your daily commute to work, get in touch with our Colorado car accident lawyers right away so we can make sure you are compensated fairly for your injuries. At Rector Stuzynski LLC, we have decades of experience helping car crash victims get back to their normal lives and we pride ourselves in helping our fellow neighbors, so give us a call for a free consultation any time at (719) 578-1106.
We serve clients charged with crimes or injured anywhere throughout the state of Colorado, but we focus on residents of these areas: Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Fountain, Monument, Black Forest, Pueblo, Canon City, Larkspur, Security-Widefield, Peyton, Castle Rock, Teller County, El Paso County, Elbert County, Park County and beyond.
Consultations are always free and available 24/7 over the phone.
