Highway Officials Try to Reduce I-70 Congestion

DENVER (AP) — Transportation officials are looking at allowing buses to bypass congestion by using the shoulders on parts of eastbound Interstate 70 during peak travel times.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says it will use Greyhound buses over the next couple of weekends to see if the idea works. CDOT has identified four segments of eastbound I-70 from the Eisenhower Tunnel and Idaho Springs for the test, and the buses will be allowed to use the shoulder only when general traffic speeds are below 35 mph.

The buses will only be allowed to go 15 mph faster than traffic that's flowing in the general purpose lanes, and the shoulder will still be reserved for drivers whose cars break down.