Several ski resorts are still open, but this week marks the start of construction season along Interstate 70 through Colorado's mountains — with potential traffic hangups coming soon.
Notable lane reductions will be in place near the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne for much of the summer, while a major, multi-year project on Vail Pass is just starting to gear up, according to recent announcements by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Several projects also are resuming or starting outside the I-70 mountain corridor, including two project zones on U.S. 50 in southwestern Colorado (see more below).
Here are the major projects wrapping up, getting started or resuming along I-70:
- Westbound express lane: The 13-mile shoulder lane between the Veterans Memorial Tunnels and Empire (mirroring an older express lane on the eastbound side) has been in testing since last year and is open only during peak travel times. CDOT expects to begin charging electronic tolls in that lane this summer.
- Repaving between Silverthorne and Eisenhower Tunnel: Crews on May 2 will begin resurfacing both directions of I-70 for more than 5 miles of the stretch between the tunnels and Silverthorne, from near mile marker 212 to mile marker 206. The highway has many ruts and potholes along this corridor, and the work is expected to wrap up in October. Lane closures and other impacts are expected during the week, with repaving work suspended most Fridays through Sundays.
- I-70 "box" project: Along the same stretch, work has resumed west of the Eisenhower Tunnel to enlarge an I-70 bridge and the underpass beneath to better allow emergency services, maintenance vehicles and snowplows to turn around. Some lane closures are possible, and beginning in mid-May the right westbound lane will be closed for several months. Crews aim to finish the project later this year.
- Widening between Frisco and Silverthorne: Crews started work this week on a project that will repave and widen the eastbound side of I-70 to add a third lane between the Summit County towns, mirroring the westbound side's three-lane configuration. Delays and eastbound lane closures are possible near Exit 205 at Silverthorne and Dillon, where work includes the widening of two I-70 bridges over the Blue River and U.S. 6. The project will pause next winter and then continue through the end of summer 2023.
- Vail Pass rest area closure: Prep work has begun on a project to demolish and rebuild facilities at the rest area, which will close May 2 and is expected to reopen in October 2023. Portable toilets will be available, but that project will leave a gap between the nearest rest areas in Georgetown and Edwards. Backcountry recreation access will still be available, but with limited parking in the area.
- West Vail Pass project: This summer will bring the first major impacts of a major project on I-70 west of mile marker 190 — near the rest area — that's expected to run through 2025. Crews will relocate nearly two miles of the Vail Pass recreation path away from the highway and begin reconstruction of a long westbound bridge at mile marker 185. The work will require narrowed lanes and a temporary bike path on the eastbound I-70 shoulder (with concrete barriers). Lane closures are possible, along with short traffic stops for rock blasting. Work in future years includes adding a 5-mile eastbound climbing lane to the top of the pass for semitrailers and slower vehicles.
Farther west, Glenwood Canyon, which had a large wildfire in 2020, will again be vulnerable to recurring summer mudslides that could close I-70. CDOT has said it will continue last year's protocols, which included closing down rest areas and recreation spots during flash flood watches and closing the highway in both directions during flood warnings.
During closures through the canyon, CDOT's official detour route — a long one — will have westbound drivers exit I-70 at Silverthorne and take Colorado 9 to U.S. 40 to Colorado 13, connecting back onto I-70 in Rifle. Eastbound drivers will take the same route, which goes through Craig, Steamboat Springs and Kremmling.
On U.S. 50, two notable projects that will affect traffic have resumed. Through early June, crews are finishing a repair project on a 19-mile stretch of the highway northwest of Delta.
And between Montrose and Gunnison, the multi-year Little Blue Creek Canyon project has returned between mile markers 123 and 127. Full closures lasting hours at a time are expected on weekdays through June, followed by single-lane alternating traffic from July through November (along with full nighttime closures during the week). Visit us50info.com for closure schedules.
The project was suspended for part of last summer so that U.S. 50 could serve as a southern detour during closures of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon. Resulting delays could prolong the U.S. 50 project into 2023, according to the Montrose Press.
Updated: This story was updated on April 27, 2022, to add a listing for a repaving project on I-70 between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne.
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