FT-26-01 Gateway to the Rockies: The I-70 Roadcut

This field trip guide explains new interpretive signage for this famous Colorado roadcut. This publication represents a collaboration between many different organizations, companies, agencies, and individuals. Digital PDF download. FT-26-01D

Contributors include: Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Goodbee and Associates, Colorado Geological Survey (CGS), Dinosaur Ridge, independent consultants and community members, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Jefferson County, David Evans and Associates, National Park Service (NPS), Denver Field Ornithologists, RDZ Build, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS).

From the abstract:

The I-70 roadcut, with its colorful stripes and metropolitan proximity, has exposed millions of people to Colorado’s underground deep-time archive. For more than half a century, visitors to the adjacent park-and-ride lots have been able to walk along the highway and examine these rocks, guided by interpretive signs that explain their geology and paleontology. Over time the signage and trails deteriorated, and the site experienced drainage and slope failure issues. Much like the grass-roots effort that originally helped make this landform accessible and understandable, a diverse group of community partners recently collaborated to help guide rehabilitation and improvement of the site. As part of that effort, 13 new interpretive graphics were designed to make the roadcut relevant and comprehensible to visitors. These graphics are presented digitally here and onsite as sloped display signs. Here we provide additional context for this suite of educational materials, while also archiving and making them freely available electronically for public benefit.