DENVER -- It had never been done before.

I-25 closing in the middle of a weekday rush hour. And it wasn't as bad as expected.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, at the urging of the Secret Service, closed the interstate between 6th Avenue to the south and at I-70 to the north.

It was a process that was expected to take two hours.

Instead, a crewmember done 7NEWS it was done in about 45 minutes, closing at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday.

Most drivers said they knew it was coming and was worth it to have Sen. Barrack Obama deliver the first outdoor party nomination acceptance speach in 48 years.

Traffic appeared much lighter than normal as well with several downtown workers telling 7NEWS they left early to beat the potential rush.

I-25 was re-opened at 10:15 p.m.

The biggest complaint after the event surrounded shuttle buses and light rail trains that were infrequent and overcrowded.