History
The short piece between US 50 at Salida and US 24 at Buena Vista was originally U.S. Route 650, designated in 1926. US 285 was commissioned in 1936 along its present extent from Sanderson to Denver, mostly replacing state-numbered highways.
Between Denver and Como, US 285 mostly follows the route of the original narrow gauge transcontinental railroad, skirting the south side of the Mount Evans massif, then descending into and crossing the South Park. Como in Colorado's South Park still houses one of the few remaining narrow gauge roundhouses. The transcontinental railroad route breaks away from US 285 at Como, going northwest over Boreas Pass en route to Breckenridge, the historically rich gold fields of Leadville, and eventually connecting to California.
Read more about this topic: U.S. Route 285
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