Dear Editor,

Is it that several mistakes cannot be rectified, if indeed they are mistakes? Dean Moffat brings up some excellent points in his Dec. 27 letter.

If Mistake No. 1, Interstate 70 running through the Glenwood Canyon, was not made, the other mistakes would be moot, because I-70 would have cut back to the Colorado River through Glenwood from Cottonwood Pass. This would have put a huge artery through or adjacent to town. So, despite the pool’s lobbying, it could be argued that the interstate was properly placed … unless the option to cut through Iron Mountain was viable. Even then, it still begs the question of where and how the Aspen traffic would connect.

Years ago, the thought of tunneling from Red Canyon to No Name was suggested. Do feasibility studies exist? In the meantime, Glenwood’s arteries are stressed toward a “traffic attack.” It’s no fun to drive Glenwood, whether you’re passing through or shopping. It’s a situation that distracts commerce, rather than enhances it.

We should take advantage of opportunities like strategic intersections; but, this should be driven by an overall plan, so things could be prioritized. Dick Prosence, the former state engineer, points out the likelihood of financing a bypass on the rail corridor in Glenwood, in lieu of the Aspen “S” curve project. That’s vital.

The timetables for getting a traffic solution exceeds administrations; therefore, no one’s accountable and nothing gets done. Shouldn’t there be a “permanent” citizen commission to shepherd this project beyond the terms of elected officials? Then these “mistakes” could be mitigated.

Fred Stewart

Glenwood Springs