colorado state highway state highway state colorado running miles interstate morrison highway roughly follows hook shaped path running northwest southeast section route north town known parkway segment lane roadway section east lanes section known bear creek road primarily parallels passing towns route outskirts denver passes city mountain parks including bergen parks early road following current path established late 19th century miners floods ravaged road early 20th century measures taken prevent damage sites camp bear creek canyon scenic mountain drive section morrison called given route listing national_register_of_historic_places early designation route number went west current day designation section truncated late 1930s eastern segment added denver 1940s section removed newer improvements road include widening segment lanes constructing interchange route description begins interchange ramps westbound branch freeway exit north cross highway southwestward access eastbound provided highway slight distance west roadway heads southwesterly meeting intersection road route heads westward turning southwestward coniferous forest setting lane divided highway roadway turns westward meets county road passes north community terrain mountainous intersecting heads southwesterly turns south parkway meets crosses troublesome creek traveling west follows east open grassland occasional trees road narrows lanes climbs passing road turns southeastward continues community enters town passing lake bear creek route intersects heads west known bear creek road curves northward winds town lanes route follows path curving northeasterly east route meets road heads southeast route meets bypasses large curve took winds eastward north roadway passes north bear park intersects road east town abandoned section exists serves path private areas route heads curves creek rocky terrain passes stream exiting park enters morrison meets intersection morrison road serves continuation road denver route maintained responsible maintaining constructing transportation infrastructure colorado including highways role periodically conducts surveys highways measure traffic volume expressed terms average annual daily traffic aadt measure average daily traffic volume particular road calculated vehicles daily near vehicles near interchange history governor constructed toll road morrison canyon early road offered access mining logging resources creek road bridges wood surrounding region late 1870s toll roads longer common path maintenance responsibilities passed passes denver mountain parks including established colorado governor system encompassed areas west city comprising city owned park system world designated time ran past addition newly purchased parks 1910s denver granted ability enforce laws pertaining parks speed limit miles hour set roadway miles hour downhill parks near morrison camp established new deal work relief program built large park numbered camp camp left state camp section morrison known listed national_register_of_historic_places especially prone flooding seen morrison destroyed occasion road threatened floods cars road carried river control flooding creek preserve safety road denver manager parks sought build dam near dam finished years flood created lake following september flood crews federal work program built walls creek measuring feet high program called installed feet masonry points previous floods damaged roadway early 1930s designation intersection east pass road bergen park followed current designation morrison paved morrison oil surface resembling asphalt late oil surface approximately inch deep prevented erosion roadway canyon floods section west redesignated turned northward east end extended denver avenue section terminated denver opted sections away section road resurfaced widened year replaced eastern segment terminus route cut original current terminus morrison construction region completed included interchange northwest end 1990s sought upgrade expressway work project began improve interchange parkway widen roadway current state costing million major intersections entire route
Colorado State Highway 74