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Mousetrap (Denver)
Encyclopedia
The Mousetrap is an informal name for the interchange
of Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 in the northern part of Denver, Colorado
, USA. The interchange pre-dates the Interstate Highway system
, originally built as an intersection between two local roads in 1951. The interchange was completely rebuilt, starting in 1987. The re-design was prompted from an incident where a U.S. Navy truck hauling torpedo
es overturned, causing panic and major disruptions in the city.
The name "mousetrap
" was coined by the long-time airborne radio traffic reporter Don Martin in the 1960s, calling the interchange "a maze that could trap a mouse". In the original design, interchange ramps included sharp curves, some of which were left exits instead of right exits. When construction began on Interstate 70, the alignment of 46th Avenue was used for the freeway, while Interstate 25 was built directly over top of the alignment of US 87. Although the design of the Mousetrap did not conform to Interstate Highway standards
, the interchange was grandfathered
into the Interstate Highway system.
es for the U.S. Navy overturned. The situation was made worse as no one answered at the phone number provided with the cargo, and an unknown liquid was leaking from one of the torpedoes. It took more than three hours before any military personnel arrived on the scene, U.S. Army personnel from a nearby base. The incident left thousands of cars stranded and Denver's transportation network paralyzed for about eight hours. Approximately 50 residents in the area were evacuated. Investigations later revealed that the truck driver did not follow a recommended route provided by officers, and was specifically warned to avoid the Mousetrap. The Navy promised reforms after being criticized for not providing a valid, staffed phone number with a hazardous cargo shipment, a violation of federal law, and failing to notify Denver officials about the shipment. The incident provided momentum to rebuild the interchange with a more modern and safer design. Construction began in several phases in 1987 and the last bridge was dedicated in 2003.
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
of Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 in the northern part of Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, USA. The interchange pre-dates the Interstate Highway system
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, originally built as an intersection between two local roads in 1951. The interchange was completely rebuilt, starting in 1987. The re-design was prompted from an incident where a U.S. Navy truck hauling torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es overturned, causing panic and major disruptions in the city.
History
The interchange was built in 1951, as an intersection between 46th Avenue, and U.S. Route 87.The name "mousetrap
Mousetrap
A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch mice; however, it may also trap other small animals. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. There are various types of mousetrap, each with its own advantages...
" was coined by the long-time airborne radio traffic reporter Don Martin in the 1960s, calling the interchange "a maze that could trap a mouse". In the original design, interchange ramps included sharp curves, some of which were left exits instead of right exits. When construction began on Interstate 70, the alignment of 46th Avenue was used for the freeway, while Interstate 25 was built directly over top of the alignment of US 87. Although the design of the Mousetrap did not conform to Interstate Highway standards
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the publication A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System...
, the interchange was grandfathered
Grandfather clause
Grandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
into the Interstate Highway system.
Incidents
One accident at the Mousetrap had national ramifications. On August 1, 1984, a truck carrying six torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es for the U.S. Navy overturned. The situation was made worse as no one answered at the phone number provided with the cargo, and an unknown liquid was leaking from one of the torpedoes. It took more than three hours before any military personnel arrived on the scene, U.S. Army personnel from a nearby base. The incident left thousands of cars stranded and Denver's transportation network paralyzed for about eight hours. Approximately 50 residents in the area were evacuated. Investigations later revealed that the truck driver did not follow a recommended route provided by officers, and was specifically warned to avoid the Mousetrap. The Navy promised reforms after being criticized for not providing a valid, staffed phone number with a hazardous cargo shipment, a violation of federal law, and failing to notify Denver officials about the shipment. The incident provided momentum to rebuild the interchange with a more modern and safer design. Construction began in several phases in 1987 and the last bridge was dedicated in 2003.
External links
- Colorado Highways: Interchange Names, by Matthew E. Salek.