Cyclists will no longer have to travel along the shoulder of Interstate 70 when heading into the mountains now that a new bike path is open in Genesee Park.
The 2.4-mile stretch of the Interstate 70 Bike Path runs from the Genesee Park interchange at exit 254 to the Evergreen Parkway. Before the Sept. 28 opening of the paved bikeway, cyclists would have to travel on I-70 while riding west toward Glenwood Springs or returning from the mountains.
“It was a big safety issue. Having a bike on the interstate is insanity anyway, but it was the only alternative for some people,” said Bob Wilson, communications manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
This was previously the only stretch where cyclists had to ride along I-70 between Denver and Glenwood Springs. The rest of the way, bike riders can use old highways that serve as frontage roads, such as U.S. 40.
The $2.4 million project took nearly a year to complete and was a collaboration between CDOT, Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County.
“Without these partnerships, we couldn’t have completed this path,” CDOT executive director Shailen Bhatt said in statement. “A big thank-you goes out to the city of Denver and its parks department, the Denver Mountain Parks Foundation and Jefferson County.”
Bike Jeffco founder David Evans spoke at the trail’s opening and had worked to help make the trail a reality since 2005.
He said the trail design is good and called riding along I-70 is a scary experience.
“This is like a dream come true. We’ve been thinking about this for 10 years,” Evans said.
Bike Jeffco, a bicycle advocacy group, will hold another celebration of the trail at noon, Oct. 15. Riders can take the trail from Genesee Park to the El Rancho junction at exit 251. Lunch will be served.
