Colorado's highways, interstates clogged after Labor Day weekend

As hundreds of thousands of people make their way home from Labor Day weekend celebrations, Colorado's interstate and highway systems were logjammed at times with thousands of near-stopped vehicles.  

On Friday afternoon before the weekend began, I-70 westbound was seen at a crawling pace, which was the complete opposite situation on Monday as eastbound lanes were slowly moving throughout the day.  

"We saw cars completely backed up for miles," one driver said. "We thought maybe there was a big accident or something." 

However, the traffic was not a result of a crash or closure. Instead, it was caused by the rush to get back home before the end of the holiday.  

"Now we are headed back to Denver about to be in this huge traffic jam," another driver said.  

When it came to getting to places like Estes Park on Monday, some said it was a breeze.  

"There were a few little backups, but other than that it was fine," one man said.  

Thousands of visitors gathered in Estes Park for Labor Day and shopped along the downtown district area. But, the traffic in the town and headed down the Big Thompson Canyon was slow moving.  

"Road traffic is pretty crazy. So, we are trying to figure out going home, what time is a good time? Or, do we stay another day?" Ray Cole, a visitor in Estes Park, said.  

"We need to be able to pack a little bit of patience along with everything else we have in our cars," said Trooper Josh Lewis of the Colorado State Patrol.  

Lewis said the holiday weekend is one of the busiest times for CSP and local law enforcement agencies, and their work is sometimes needed to combat issues with impaired or reckless driving  

"You will see additional folks, additional troopers and law enforcement out there, and our goal is to find those dangerous driving behaviors that are taking place. Don't ruin the end of summer by getting a DUI or hurting yourself or somebody else," Lewis said.