Sons of Union Veterans – Departments of Colorado and Wyoming

G.A. R. Highway in Colorado  

U.S. Route 6 in Colorado

US 6 is basically parallel to, or runs concurrently with, I-70 for a significant portion of its length as it generally heads east from the Utah state line thru about half of Denver. It is unsigned while it is overlapped. It separates to become I-70 Business through the south side of Grand Junction, rejoining I-70 just north of Clifton.

It again separates west of Rifle and runs through that town, Silt, New Castle, and Chacra until it again joins I-70.

It separates from and runs parallel to, I-70 at Dotsero, where the Eagle River joins the Colorado River. It again joins I-70 just east of Avon, the location of the Beaver Creek Ski Area, just a bit west of the Vail Ski Area.

A significant departure from I-70 occurs at Silverthorne where it veers a bit south then north, avoiding the nearly two-mile-long (3.2 km) tunnel on I-70 as it goes under the Continental Divide. It passes the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area before a steep climb to the highest altitude along US 6, 11,990 feet (3,650 m), at Loveland Pass, where it crosses the Continental Divide. It continues down Clear Creek Valley as it again reaches I-70 at the Loveland Basin Ski Area straddling the eastern mouth of the Eisenhower Tunnel.

 Slightly east of Idaho Springs it separates to go thru the scenic Clear Creek Canyon. At Golden, it combines with 6th Avenue to head south until it again crosses paths with I-70.

Then, continuing east, it passes through Lakewood and west Denver as the 6th Avenue freeway.

From near the eastern terminus of the 6th Avenue freeway, US 6 takes a convoluted route through Denver. First, it turns north on I-25, then heads east on I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard through Elyra Swansea. The route emerges from the freeway alongside US 85 through Commerce City, where the pair briefly join State Highway 2 (SH 2) before separating at Colorado Boulevard. SH 2 represents the historic alignment of US 6 northeast to Brighton, while US 6 combines with I-76, heading northeast, until east of Brush.

It then separates to join I-76 Business until it crosses I-76 east of Sterling, where it changes direction from the Interstate. It continues east until it reaches Nebraska. The last town in Colorado that it passes is Holyoke.