A pre-dawn crash on northbound Interstate 25 at Colfax Avenue turned Denver’s Tuesday morning commute into a slow crawl, shutting multiple lanes and triggering long backups toward Colorado Boulevard. Emergency crews moved in before sunrise, and at least one person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, authorities said. The collision involved two drivers and pushed frustrated commuters onto neighborhood streets while officials worked to clear the mess.
Crash details and response
The collision, reported at about 5:54 a.m., closed the left and center lanes of northbound I-25 while crews worked to remove the damaged vehicles and clear debris, according to Denver7. Traffic monitors reported backups stretching north to Colorado Boulevard, clogging on-ramps and nearby surface streets as the morning rush built.
The Denver Police Department said one person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and urged drivers to find alternate routes while officers and tow crews worked the scene. Authorities confirmed the crash involved two drivers and said the investigation remained ongoing.
Traffic impact and alternatives
Traffic expert Jayson Luber at Denver7 recommended using University Boulevard, Broadway, and Santa Fe as alternate routes, but warned drivers not to use Santa Fe to access I-25 since it feeds directly into the same congestion. Commuters heading eastbound on 6th Avenue from Sheridan also ran into slow, stop-and-go traffic as the freeway backup spilled pressure onto surface streets in every direction.
Why this stretch chokes up
Central I-25, particularly the segment above Colfax, routinely runs over capacity, and reporting and state studies have long flagged the corridor as a congestion and safety hotspot. That chronic overload helps explain how a pre-dawn collision could trigger delays that stretched all the way to Colorado Boulevard, according to The Colorado Sun.
Officials urged drivers to check live traffic updates before heading downtown. Two crews and investigators remained on scene as agencies worked to reopen lanes. See Denver7 and the Denver Police Department for the latest closure information and route guidance.
