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CDOT has new plan to smooth I-70 traffic

Published: November 23, 2012 Comment on this article

The new system will get its first test next month, just as holiday traffic starts to really build, Stegman said. That first test will use a combination of human flaggers and traffic lights.

Over this holiday weekend, the state will start its winter-season "courtesy patrols," in which tow trucks will be available to get broken-down motorists to safety.

And traffic could be pretty heavy this weekend. Wave Dreher, the spokeswoman for AAA Colorado, said that group expected holiday travel this year to be at about the levels it reached last year. According to AAA, nearly 650,000 state residents will travel at least 50 miles by car over Thanksgiving. Higher gas prices, he said, were not changing how people holiday.

"People are still traveling by car — the pull of friends and family is strong," Dreher said.

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