Denver weighs Olympics over 40 years after saying no thanks

In this Jan. 7, 2018, photo, traffic backs up on Interstate 70 in Colorado, a familiar scene on the main highway connecting Denver to the mountains The chairman of a committee exploring whether Denver should bid on the 2030 Olympics says buses or giving incentives to truckers to avoid the highway could help keep traffic moving if the city hosted the games. Rob Cohen also says a possible surplus could help pay to improve the highway later. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) In this Jan. 7, 2018, photo, traffic backs up on Interstate 70 in Colorado, a familiar scene on the main highway connecting Denver to the mountains The chairman of a committee exploring whether Denver should bid on the 2030 Olympics says buses or giving incentives to truckers to avoid the highway could help keep traffic moving if the city hosted the games. Rob Cohen also says a possible surplus could help pay to improve the highway later. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

By Associated Press February 26, 2018 1 min read

DENVER (AP) – Over 40 years after becoming the first city to walk away from an Olympic bid, Denver is considering whether to try to again to host the Winter Games.

Questions about the environmental impact, huge costs and logistics killed Denver’s plans to host the 1976 Olympics. But the leader of the committee exploring a possible bid says only three venues would have to be built, all of them temporary.

Chairman Rob Cohen says an Olympics could produce a multimillion-dollar surplus that could be used to help Colorado, such as improving the highway to the mountains that is usually packed with cars on weekends.

Denver faces stiff competition from Salt Lake City, the first U.S. city to announce plans to bid on the 2030 Olympics. Reno, Nevada, is also considering a bid.