Three Wyoming swimmers die in crash

[micropolitan guy]

Thursday afternoon on US Highway 287, just inside Colorado, where the road goes from four lanes in Wyoming to two in Colorado. Supposedly the driver swerved and the car rolled several times. Two others survived.

Stories I've seen have not said whether they were headed north or south.

That's now 12 Wyoming athletes killed on that stretch of highway since 2001. Eight CC runners in 2001 and a football player in 2010.

I've driven this road numerous times. It's a beautiful stretch of highway but needs to be four-laned all the way from north Fort Collins to Laramie. I'd never drive it in the winter.

Names of 3 UW swimmers killed in Colorado crash released | University of Wyoming | wyomingnews.com

 

[MileHigh]

I too have driven it many times. Dangerous, especially at night.

And I saw they were going southbound, about 10 miles inside the border.

 

[Roscablo]

The Coloradoan just did a big story on it a few months ago, but the road has always had this reputation, as far back as when I was in school in the late 90s.

There has been tons of work done to the road to try to help with this stuff, it's basically been completely redesigned once you totally leave Fort Collins. But it's still obviously dangerous. The Coloradoan story pointed out that there are a lot of side roads and angles that feed into it.

I too have driven it many times, more than plenty all the way to Laramie, but most of my trips any more are about halfway between Fort Collins and Laramie to get to Red Feather Lakes. Not far north of there is actually where this appears to have happened.

https://www.coloradoan.com/story/ne...yoming-is-deadly-can-that-change/71359603007/

 

[HanSenSE]

Not that this makes it any less tragic, but the MW swimming championships are in Houston this week.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I too have driven it many times. Dangerous, especially at night.

And I saw they were going southbound, about 10 miles inside the border.

Not sure why they would be going south at 2:45 in the afternoon, that guarantees you'll be driving home in the dark. Too many bad things can happen on rural highways in the dark, especially with the number of deer, etc., in that area. We hit one near Ryan Park on Wyo 130 at about 4 a.m. several years ago, scared the living daylights out of me.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

The Coloradoan just did a big story on it a few months ago, but the road has always had this reputation, as far back as when I was in school in the late 90s.

There has been tons of work done to the road to try to help with this stuff, it's basically been completely redesigned once you totally leave Fort Collins. But it's still obviously dangerous. The Coloradoan story pointed out that there are a lot of side roads and angles that feed into it.

I too have driven it many times, more than plenty all the way to Laramie, but most of my trips any more are about halfway between Fort Collins and Laramie to get to Red Feather Lakes. Not far north of there is actually where this appears to have happened.

https://www.coloradoan.com/story/ne...yoming-is-deadly-can-that-change/71359603007/

At what point does it motivate more people to simply take I-25? (And before others start, I'm NOT trolling or trying to stir the pot and I'm sorry these people just lost their lives, just urging people to take the road more safely traveled). And, related, does the DOT do more to see that I-25 spends less time closed during severe winter weather?

 

[apeman33]

I've only been on that stretch of 287 during the summer, going to and from Idaho with my family to visit relatives. And the only reason we used it was because it was supposed to be shorter. I'm not sure it was if was a fair trade of distance vs. time because we had to go through Fort Collins to get to it and I don't think that saves a lick of time compared to going on up to Cheyenne and then over.

I didn't like that road in the summer. I can't imagine why you'd take that road at any other time.

 

[MileHigh]

At what point does it motivate more people to simply take I-25? (And before others start, I'm NOT trolling or trying to stir the pot and I'm sorry these people just lost their lives, just urging people to take the road more safely traveled). And, related, does the DOT do more to see that I-25 spends less time closed during severe winter weather?

100 percent -- it's shorter by an hour. Driven it in summer and winter. In fact, took it the last two Decembers to go to Idaho.

 

[kickoff-time]

Condolences to the swimmers' family and friends.

Two of my high school friends died on this stretch heading north to Laramie. I also have driven this road in all four seasons and it is "bad-ash" country as my father referred to it.

But it makes no sense to drive I-25 if say you're going to a game from Laramie to Colorado State and vice versa.
Many dark and dangerous two-lane roads in Western states. This is one of the worst.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I've only been on that stretch of 287 during the summer, going to and from Idaho with my family to visit relatives. And the only reason we used it was because it was supposed to be shorter. I'm not sure it was if was a fair trade of distance vs. time because we had to go through Fort Collins to get to it and I don't think that saves a lick of time compared to going on up to Cheyenne and then over.

I didn't like that road in the summer. I can't imagine why you'd take that road at any other time.

It is considerably faster (especially if you know the backroads shortcut to/from I-25). And safe as any road if you pay attention. The stretch through Colorado is the dangerous part, it's four-laned most of the way to Laramie starting at the Wyo border.

I did take the Groome airport shuttle from Laramie to DIA last summer. The shuttle starts in Fort Collins, and they do not let their drivers take 287, so she came to get me via Cheyenne.

 

[justgladtobehere]

It's crazy that stretches of highway are known for crashes. It seems like something out of the 50's.