Editing Denver (section)

===Freeways and highways===
Denver is primarily served by the interstate freeways [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] and [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|I-70]]. The problematic intersection of the two interstates is referred to locally as "[[Mousetrap (Denver)|the mousetrap]]" because, when viewed from the air, the junction (and subsequent vehicles) resemble mice in a large trap.
* [[File:I-25 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]]''' runs north–south from [[New Mexico]] through Denver to [[Wyoming]]
* [[File:I-225 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 225]]''' traverses neighboring Aurora. I-225 was designed to link Aurora with I-25 in the southeastern corner of Denver, and I-70 to the north of Aurora, with construction starting May 1964 and ending May 21, 1976.
* [[File:I-70 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]]''' runs east–west from [[Utah]] to [[Maryland]]. It is also the primary corridor on which motorists access the mountains.
* [[File:I-270 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 270 (Colorado)|Interstate 270]]''' runs concurrently with [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from an interchange with [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]] in northeast Denver to an interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] north of Denver. The freeway continues as [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from the interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:I-76 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 76 (Colorado)|Interstate 76]]''' begins from I-70 just west of the city in [[Arvada, Colorado|Arvada]]. It intersects I-25 north of the city and runs northeast to Nebraska where it ends at [[Interstate 80 (Nebraska)|I-80]].
* [[File:US 6.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 6 (Colorado)|US 6]]''' follows the alignment of 6th Avenue west of I-25, and connects downtown Denver to the west-central suburbs of [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]] and [[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]]. It continues west through Utah and [[Nevada]] to [[Bishop, California]]. To the east, it continues as far as [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], on [[Cape Cod]] in [[Massachusetts]].
*[[File:US 285.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|US 285]]''' ends its {{convert|847|mi|km|adj=on}} route through [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]] at [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] in the University Hills neighborhood.
* [[File:US 85.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 85 (Colorado)|US 85]]''' also travels through Denver. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]] instead of taking [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:US 87.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Route 87]]''' runs north–south and through Denver. It is concurrent with I-25 the entire length in the state.
* [[File:US 36.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]''' connects Denver to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Rocky Mountain National Park]] near [[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes Park]]. It runs east into [[Ohio]], after crossing four other states.
* [[File:Colorado 93.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 93|State Highway 93]]''' starts in the western Metropolitan area in [[Golden, Colorado]], and travels almost {{convert|19|mi|km}} to meet with [[Colorado State Highway 119|SH&nbsp;119]] in central [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] instead of taking [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]].
* [[File:Colorado 470.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 470|State Highway 470]]''' ('''C-470''', '''SH 470''') is the southwestern portion of the Denver metro area's beltway. Originally planned as Interstate 470 in the 1960s, the beltway project was attacked on environmental impact grounds and the interstate beltway was never built. The portion of "Interstate 470" built as a [[state highway]] is the present-day SH 470, which is a [[freeway]] for its entire length.

Denver also has a nearly complete beltway known as "the 470's". These are [[SH 470 (CO)|SH 470]] (also known as C-470), a freeway in the southwest Metro area, and two toll highways, [[E-470]] (from southeast to northeast) and [[Northwest Parkway]] (from terminus of E-470 to [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]). SH 470 was intended to be I-470 and built with federal highway funds, but the funding was redirected to complete conversion of downtown Denver's [[16th Street Mall|16th Street]] to a pedestrian mall. As a result, construction was delayed until 1980 after state and local legislation was passed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Matthew E. Salek |url=http://www.mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |title=C-470? E-470? I-470? W-470? I give up! |publisher=Mesalek.com |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924101940/http://mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |archive-date=September 24, 2011 }}</ref> I-470 was also once called "The Silver Stake Highway", from Gov. Lamm's declared intention to drive a silver stake through it and kill it.

A highway expansion and transit project for the southern [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] corridor, dubbed T-REX ([[Transportation Expansion Project]]), was completed on November 17, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=T-REX Announces Opening Day for Southeast Light Rail Line |url=http://www.denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |date=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013125106/http://denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> The project installed wider and additional highway lanes, and improved highway access and drainage. The project also includes a light rail line that traverses from downtown to the south end of the metro area at Lincoln Avenue.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5151700,00.html |title=New light rail heads on down the tracks |newspaper=Rocky Mountain News |access-date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114548/http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0%2C1299%2CDRMN_15_5151700%2C00.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The project spanned almost {{convert|19|mi|km|0}} along the highway with an additional line traveling parallel to part of [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|I-225]], stopping just short of Parker Road.

Metro Denver highway conditions can be accessed on the [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] COtrip website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COtrip Traveler Information |url=https://maps.cotrip.org/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=maps.cotrip.org}}</ref>