Highway officials promoting holiday travel effort

Colorado highway officials say they’re expecting heavy traffic on Interstate 70 starting Thursday for the July 4 holiday weekend.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is promoting its website offering deals on things like tacos and massages to get travelers to stay in the mountains past peak travel times.

In 2013, westbound travel times on July 3 peaked at 97 minutes in the late afternoon. Travel times for westbound traffic surpassed 100 minutes on July 4 for the noon hour.

Motorists heading up the mountain corridor should expect delays throughout the day on July 3 and July 4 when traveling westbound and should allow for extra time or plan to travel earlier in the day.