Traffic congestion across all major interstates in Colorado has become progressively worse over the past several years, largely in part due to the influx of new residents and a hot real estate market. The State of Colorado’s highway infrastructure was not prepared for the arrival of the new residents, therefore causing increased amounts of traffic and waiting for all residents across the state. Through the introduction and use of alternative transportation and expanded infrastructure, Colorado’s traffic congestion issue can be diminished and adapted to handle the surge in residency. Through personal interactions with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the author posed the question of when the current Interstate-25 (I-25) lanes would be expanded to accommodate the new residents. This question was posed through a social media platform, Twitter, in which users we previously limited to 140 characters per tweet or response, which limited the amount of information gathered. The results of this interaction came as shocking, as at the time there was no formal plan to expand the interstate until the years 2065 for three-lane expansion and 2085 for four-lane expansion. These tweets have since been removed as there has been a new plan implemented that will be expanding various parts of the I-25 corridor, with some of the largest congestion areas already getting some much-needed relief.
References Niedringhaus, C. (2018). It's happening: CDOT signs $248M contract to widen Interstate 25 in Northern Colorado. Retrieved from https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/colorado/2018/01/04/cdot-signs-248-million-contract-widen-north-25/1004955001/