As Coloradans and out-of-state travelers prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July this week, there’s one elusive goal top of mind: independence from traffic on Interstate 70.

Beginning Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Transportation is warning drivers of longer than usual wait times while traveling through the High Country. The Eisenhower Tunnel is likely to reach its capacity with up to 52,000 cars passing through it daily during the holiday weekend.

“I-70 is the focus, but it can be any road,” said Bob Wilson with CDOT. “Give yourself extra time, expect longer drive times and additional traffic.”

Traffic along I-70 should be somewhat alleviated by the limited re-opening of Blue Mesa Middle Bridge between Gunnison and Cimarron, Wilson said. CDOT has been working on repairing the bridge since it closed in April, after a crack was discovered in the bridge during a safety inspection. 

It will be open for 12 hours a day beginning Wednesday, and beginning on July 8, will open each day from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

CDOT will also suspend non-emergent construction projects from Wednesday until Monday to help with delays, Wilson said.

Typically, the roads are more overloaded with travelers in the first day or two of the holiday weekend, with most people heading West around the same time. Travel volume is somewhat more tapered for the eastbound return trips, he said.

Denver, along with Dallas, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, are the cities with the highest rental demand in the U.S. during the holiday week, according to a news release from AAA. 

AAA is projecting a surge in road trips for this year’s holiday weekend compared to last year. 

“July 4 is no longer just a sit-at-home and grill-hot-dogs holiday,” said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA.

With four national parks, Colorado has become one of the most popular destinations in the country for folks seeking to travel over the Fourth of July. 

“Colorado has been a huge beneficiary of the way that folks travel in the post-pandemic world,” McKinley said.

The state average gas price is $3.35 per gallon, roughly 15 cents below the national average and 40 cents lower than the last Fourth of July weekend, according to AAA. 

The airports won’t offer much solace from crowds either. Denver International Airport reports nearly 900,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport between June 28 and July 9, with the four busiest days being June 28 and 30 and July 7 and 8. These days will see more than 321,000 passengers, nearly a 5% increase from the same period last year. 

Peak security wait times are 3 a.m. to 4:30 a.m., 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m, according to a news release from the airport. 

For those who want to stay away from crowds entirely, it’s perhaps best to take a note from Wilson at CDOT. 

“I stick around town,” he said of his own holiday plans. “The restaurants have less people in them.”