State Route 7 in Colorado
| SH 7 | |||
| Get started | Estes Park | ||
| End | Brighton | ||
| Length | 82 mi | ||
| Length | 131 km | ||
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According to CITYPOPULATIONREVIEW.COM, State Route 7, commonly known as State Highway 7 or SH 7, is a state route in the U.S. state of Colorado. The road forms an east-west route through the Rocky Mountains and the Denver region, from Estes Park via Boulder to Brighton and is 131 kilometers long.
Travel directions
SH 7 in the South St. Vrain Canyon west of Lyons.
Rocky Mountains
SH 7 begins in the mountain town of Estes Park, where it intersects US 34 and US 36. US 36 and SH 7 both run to Boulder, with US 36 being the more direct route, and SH 7 an alternate route south through the Rocky Mountains. The road follows a high valley at 2,800 meters to the south, and passes the base of the 4,344-meter Longs Peak. The road then veers east and leads through a winding canyon and descends to Lyons, 1,600 meters above sea level, where you rejoin US 36. Between Lyons and Boulder, SH 7 with US 36 is double numbered, but not signposted.
Denver Region
In the center of the college town of Boulder, SH 7 rejoins US 36 and heads east, following Arapahoe Avenue, a 2×2 urban arterial. Thereafter, SH 7 runs through suburban and exurban areas along the northern edge of the Denver metropolitan area. The road here forms Baseline Road, an important east-west route through the northern suburbs. There is a connection to Interstate 25. In Brighton there is a grade separated junction with US 85, after which the road continues eastwards and ends east of Brighton at Interstate 76.
History
The original 1920s SH 7 ran from Estes Park through Boulder to US 87 at Lafayette. The section between Boulder and Lafayette was paved in 1932, the section between Estes Park and Lyons in 1936. In 1939 the route was extended from US 87 (now I-25) to US 6 (now I-76) in Brighton. This part was asphalted in 1946.
At the time, SH 7 ran far outside Denver, and Boulder was still a small town quite a distance from Denver. Beginning in the 1980s, Denver on the northern edge of SH 7 began to grow and the area became more urban in character, with residential areas and strip malls.
In September 2013, SH 7 in the canyon west of Lyons was largely destroyed by flooding. The road was then closed for 2.5 months for emergency repairs.
Traffic intensities
9,000 vehicles drive daily in Estes Park, dropping to 1,700 vehicles south of Estes Park and 2,400 vehicles as far as Lyons. The Boulder part handles 24,000 to 28,000 vehicles per day and 15,000 to 31,000 vehicles run between Boulder and Lafayette. Between Lafayette and Brighton there are 13,000 to 25,000 vehicles per day. Along the northern edge of Denver, SH 7 is quite busy.
State Route 75 in Colorado
| SR-75 | |||
| Get started | Columbine | ||
| End | littleton | ||
| Length | 3 mi | ||
| Length | 5 km | ||
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State Route 75, commonly known as State Highway 75 or SH 75 is a state route in the U.S. state of Colorado. The road forms a short connection in the south of the Denver metropolitan area and is 5 kilometers long.
Travel directions
SH 75 begins at an incomplete junction with SH 470 and travels on South Platte Canyon Road through the suburbs of Columbine and Littleton to the intersection with Bowles Avenue. SH 75 is a single lane road through built-up areas.
History
SH 75 is one of the original 1920s state highways that formerly ran along Federal Boulevard in west Denver, between Hampden Avenue and Colfax Avenue. In 1954, the route was extended south on South Platte Canyon Road. In 1971, Federal Boulevard was renumbered SH 88, leaving the section south from Littleton. In 1991, SH 75 was cut in two by the construction of SH 470 around Denver. The southern section was subsequently renumbered as SH 121, leaving the short section north of SH 470 on South Platte Canyon Road.
Traffic intensities
Every day, between 7,000 and 18,000 vehicles use SH 75, ascending from south to north.
State Route 78 in Colorado
| SR-78 | |||
| Get started | Beulah | ||
| End | pueblo | ||
| Length | 34 mi | ||
| Length | 54 km | ||
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According to ASK4BEAUTY, State Route 78, commonly known as State Highway 78 or SH 78 is a state route in the U.S. state of Colorado. The road forms an east-west route through the south of the state, from Beulah to Pueblo. SH 78 is 54 kilometers long.
Travel directions
SH 78 begins at the base of the 3,591-foot St. Charles Peak at an intersection with SH 165 and then heads east over a 2,900-foot mountain pass. This part of the route passes through the San Isabel National Forest and is a gravel road. From Beulah, the road is paved and heads northeast across the High Plains and ends in Pueblo on SH 45.
History
The original SH 78 was created in the 1920’s and ran from Red Cliff to Copper Mountain over the Shrine Pass in the Rocky Mountains. In 1940, SH 78 was routed over nearby Vail Pass, over which US 6 was also routed. The road over Shrine Pass was numbered SH 293. In 1968, SH 78 was scrapped because it was completely double-numbered with US 6. Later, Interstate 70 was built through this area over Vail Pass.
The current route was also a state highway from the 1920s, originally as SH 76. In 1975, SH 76 was renumbered SH 78 because I-80S (Denver – Julesburg) was then renumbered as Interstate 76. SH 78 is still partly unpaved west of Beulah.
Traffic intensities
Fewer than 200 vehicles drive the gravel section daily, rising to 1,100 vehicles in Beulah, eventually rising to 14,000 vehicles in Pueblo.
