Interstate 270 (Colorado)

Interstate 270
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway U.S. Route 36
I-270 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-70
Maintained by CDOT
Length	7.107 mi[1] (11.438 km)
Existed	1965[2]–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-25 / US 36 / US 87 in Welby
Major intersections	I-76 in North Washington US 6 / US 85 / SH 2 in Commerce City
East end	I-70 / US 36 in Denver
Location
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Counties	Adams, Denver
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Colorado State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← SH 266 → US 285

Interstate 270 (I-270) is a seven-mile-long (11 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the northeastern part of the Denver metropolitan area in the US state of Colorado. It overlaps U.S. Highway 36 (US 36) for its entire length and is also a part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, which spans from I-270 and the Capital Beltway in Bethesda, Maryland, to I-80/US 101 in San Francisco, California.^[3] The western terminus of I-270 is at the interchange with I-25 and US 36. It heads eastward to an interchange with I-76, where the mileposts reset because of a previous freeway extension. The freeway heads southeast and comes to meet Vasquez Boulevard, where it enters Commerce City. The road crosses Quebec Street before ending at I-70.

Ground was broken on the first segment of I-270 in 1965, and the freeway was completed three years later, stretching from I-70 to Vasquez Boulevard. The road was then extended to I-76 two years later. The section between I-25 and I-76 was completed in 1999. Since completion, this section has undergone much construction to renew bridges over Clear Creek and Washington Street. Because the western end of I-270 is close to the junction of I-25 and I-76, some traffic movements to I-25 can only be made by using I-76.