GEORGETOWN, Colo. — It was another bumper‑to‑bumper day in the high country Sunday as thousands drove up to take in the fall colors.
It comes just one day after Georgetown gridlock briefly shut down the small mountain community to visitors.
Through the ups and downs of the fall foliage frenzy, preemptive measures have kept things under control for locals.
Town leaders implemented a traffic management plan, featuring a one-way traffic flow in and out of Georgetown, along with barriers on residential streets to minimize the impact of visitor traffic.
Local
Leaf peepers gridlock Georgetown, forcing town to temporarily close to visitors
For local businesses, leaf peeping season means more customers.
“It's always great to see people who return every year. So many familiar faces that come back each year,” said China Tipton at the Trading Post.
“Some people either hang around to try to let the passage through Guanella [Pass] clear up a bit before they go up, and they'll meander around through town,” added Kabian Fox at Georgetown Valley Candy Company.
For over an hour on Saturday, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office cut off I-70 and Highway 285 traffic into the town.
The only cars allowed during that time were those of residents with a valid ID.
“It wasn't moving. It was gridlock. I think that's probably the best way to describe it. It was just gridlock,” said resident Gary Wilkins.
Additionally, a power outage forced businesses to close for several hours or find alternative ways to operate.
“We just started writing down all the transactions for people and adding up their totals, doing all the math on paper,” said Fox.
When Denver7 drove up Sunday morning, the traffic flow on Interstate 70 and through Georgetown went smoothly.
The slow-moving traffic gradually built up as the day went on.
Town and county leaders have expressed their commitment to navigating any unexpected challenges as they work on making their plans for future seasons more robust.
Business owners told Denver7 that they are looking forward to seeing how the changes continue to make a difference.
“I, as a business owner, am grateful for the influx of people, the visitors. We're always grateful to see them. So they, I guess, there's a balance that they need to find,” said Tipton.
