Gridlock caused by Rocky Mountain day-trippers forced a small Colorado town to be temporarily closed to anyone who couldn’t prove they live there.
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The barricade of Georgetown was announced Saturday afternoon by the Clear Creek County sheriff’s office. All non-resident drivers trying to exit from Interstate 70 were being turned away, the sheriff’s department said, because “the town is so congested with leaf-peeping traffic that all traffic in town is at a standstill.”
Georgetown residents were told they would have to show proof of address.
The closure was lifted after 90 minutes, but drivers were warned that traffic remained heavy through the town and on the prime fall color route of Guanella Pass Road.
Georgetown, with a population of about 1,200, lies along I-70 about a 35-mile drive west from Denver. It courts tourists with shops, restaurants and attractions related to its gold and silver mining history.
It’s also at the northern end of Guanella Pass Road, a 25-mile route through aspen-covered hills that turn bright gold in late September. Drivers out of Denver can make a 100-mile loop by using the two-lane road to connect two highways.
After Georgetown recorded 15,000 vehicles last Sunday, the sheriff’s office issued a call for patience and planning ahead. It also noted that, under restrictions instituted this year to keep the route clear for emergency vehicles, a car parked with any part of its tires on the pavement of Guanella Pass Road would incur an $87.50 ticket, not counting the tow bill, Colorado Public Radio reported.