CDOT: Double your I-25 travel time for Rocky Mountain Showdown

Alicia Stice
The Coloradoan
The Colorado Department of Transportation is recommending that people allow for extra time on the road as they head to the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Friday.

With upwards of 70,000 people expected to attend Friday's Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver, transportation officials are recommending people make extra time to head south on Interstate 25.

With Friday's game scheduled for 6 p.m. at Sports Authority Field, the combination of fans heading to the game, rush hour traffic and travel at the start of the holiday weekend is likely to make for some headaches on the interstate. 

Last year, the Colorado Department of Transportation counted 95,752 cars on I-25 at U.S. Highway 34 the day of the showdown, about 2,000 cars more than the week before, CDOT spokesman Jared Fiel said. 

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"Anybody who's ever driven on I-25 on a Friday understands that it's always crowded," he said. "... If it were me, I'd be planning at least double (the travel time) as normal." 

CDOT is also using its Bustang service — which has a commuter route from Fort Collins to Denver — to help get fans to the game. But the 51-seat bus was sold out by early Wednesday afternoon. 

If you missed the window on Bustang tickets but still want to avoid making the entire drive, there is RTD service available from Longmont, Thornton, Broomfield and Boulder.

"There's just going to be a lot of traffic, so make sure you leave plenty of time," Fiel said.