Just got back from Estes Park. All my local friends advised taking the Big Thompson from Loveland because of the delays and road conditions between Lyons and Estes. That is what we did. There was some construction and minor delays.
Have driven Highway 72 from Central City to 7 at Allenspark and into Estes several times since the flood. Highway 7 has taken a real beating. Shoulders are breaking down and lots of potholes patched or not.