This was my thought as well as soon as
@IAMWAN mentioned hopping back and forth between 85 and 52 I immediately thought aobut that, too. I am on the opposite side of Denver from Frederick and Erie, but very familiar with doing the side road shuffle and hopping onto frontage roads to avoid 25 during rush hour.
In addition to being prime construction season, even the smallest accident can turn 25 into a parking lot. NK seems like the type that would obsess on the best and fastest way to get to work without being inconvenienced by traffic delays.
moo.