6 ▁cor rid or . ▁Under ▁this ▁proposal ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁would ▁terminate ▁at ▁I - 1 5 ▁near ▁Spanish ▁F ork , ▁Ut ah , ▁linking ▁the ▁Front ▁Range ▁and ▁Was atch ▁Front ▁metropol itan ▁areas . ▁ ▁Congress ▁approved ▁the ▁extension ▁of ▁I - 7 0 ; ▁however , ▁the ▁route ▁still ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁approved ▁by ▁the ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁military ▁on ▁the ▁planning ▁committee . ▁Military ▁represent atives ▁were ▁concerned ▁that ▁plans ▁for ▁this ▁new ▁highway ▁network ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁direct ▁connection ▁from ▁the ▁central ▁U . S . ▁to ▁southern ▁California ; ▁and ▁further ▁felt ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City ▁was ▁ade qu ately ▁connected . ▁Military ▁pl ann ers ▁approved ▁the ▁extension , ▁but ▁moved ▁the ▁western ▁termin us ▁south ▁to ▁C ove ▁Fort , ▁using ▁I - 7 0 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁link ▁between ▁Den ver ▁with ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁instead ▁of ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City . ▁Ut ah ▁officials ▁object ed ▁to ▁the ▁modification , ▁compla ining ▁they ▁were ▁being ▁asked ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁expensive ▁fre ew ay ▁that ▁would ▁serve ▁no ▁populated ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁After ▁being ▁told ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁the ▁military ▁would ▁appro ve ▁the ▁extension , ▁Ut ah ▁officials ▁agreed ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁along ▁the ▁approved ▁route . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Colorado ▁portion ▁of ▁I - 7 0 ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁This ▁section ▁by pass ed ▁and ▁linked