I-25: An open or shut case?

Southbound rush hour traffic along I-25 as commuters stream out of the downtown Denver area. (Photo: Shaun Stanley/The Denver Post file)

News reports conflict about whether Interstate 25 will be shut down at any time on Thursday, Aug. 28, when Barack Obama is expected to accept the Democratic nomination for president at Invesco Field at Mile High. The interstate runs very near the stadium, which may hold in excess of 75,000 people for that event.

Denver city officials, including Mayor John Hickenlooper, told The Denver Post at an editorial board meeting on Wednesday that no decision has been made because the Secret Service is still conducting its analysis.

However, the Rocky Mountain News online quoted the mayor as saying, "Yes, of course," when reportedly asked whether it would be fair to say I-25 would shut down that night.

City officials on Wednesday announced road closures on Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 25 to 27, during the Democratic National Convention at the Pepsi Center.

At The Post editorial board meeting, city officials were twice asked about the possibility of I-25 closing on Thursday, Aug. 28, for Obama's speech at Invesco on the final night of the convention. Below is the transcript of the first exchange.

Dan Haley (Post editorial page editor): Is there an expectation that you will close I-25 during the speech, at least...?

Hickenlooper: I would assume...we don't know.

Bill Vidal (public works director): We're working those details right now, because there's also conversations about whether we'll open Auraria (Parkway) and Speer (Boulevard) up before Invesco. There's still a lot of things to discuss. We've been already talking to Secret Service and we'll have an announcement in the next few weeks about Invesco Field.

Chuck Plunkett (Post reporter): So it's possible that Auraria and Speer remain closed on Thursday?

Vidal: Like I said, I think unlikely, but we haven't worked those details just yet.

Later, Stephen Keating, editor of PoliticsWest.com, also asked about I-25 during the night of Obama's speech. See the video and transcript below.

Keating: Is I-25 going to be shut down?

Katherine Archuleta (mayor's liaison for the convention): Those decisions haven't been made yet. The analysis is still being done by the Secret Service.

Keating: What's your expectation?

Archuletta: I'm waiting...

Keating: Do you think they can allow traffic that's that close to a venue...

Hickenlooper: Oh yeah...

Keating: ...with that many people and a presidential nominee?

Hickenlooper: The goal, the ideal, it's an interstate, right? So even in Boston [for the 2004 Democratic National Convention] they opened up the interstate for large portions of time. I don't know. Ultimately, they're going to have to sit down and go through their analysis and all the components that lead them to a decision, right? They'll figure it out.