From Colorado State Patrol on Interstate 25 traffic: LEFT lane for THROUGH traffic -RIGHT lane for EVACUATING residents, LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIRST RESPONDERS
2:52 p.m. New evacuations in northern Colorado Springs bring the total number of evacuees to 41,000.
2:44 p.m. Colorado State Patrol advising drivers headed to denver to take Highway 24 to I-70 then head west.
2:41 p.m. Firefighters on radio say Black Forest fire flaring up at Shoup and Falcon. Fire behavior increasing as winds are picking up.
2:36 p.m. Traffic nightmare in northern Colorado Springs. If you don’t need to be there, leave. Reporters, officials say it’s a parking lot through much of the area north of Woodmen Road.
For travel North on I25 CSP now recommends you go via Hwy 24 East out to Limon and then West to Denver.
Nearly a 200mi detour
I way to the northwest but have been around there quite a bit in the past. Suggest that folks leaving that area in the northern Springs to have a look at the interactive map on the Gazette page behind the link and head way around the fire area to the east. Then south. Choose your directions from there. If you want to go to Denver, plan on taking plenty of time.
For one, there’s Ute pass to Woodland Park, then 67 (two lane) north (that’s a right turn, city slickers), all the way to Santa Fe Dr. north (left) into the nicer western part of the Denver area. It’s a pleasant drive but a fairly long one. Watch out for deer on the road.
Drive safely. Take your time.