Industry News
Millions of skiers drive I-70 every winter to reach Colorado’s popular ski resorts. That journey could become significantly safer—and eventually faster—under a newly approved state transportation plan.
On May 21, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) approved a 10-year, $300 million plan that includes major upgrades to the I-70 Mountain Corridor and other mountain roads across the state. The plan, approved by the 11-member Colorado Transportation Commission, covers more than 250 projects with goals of fixing roads, improving safety, and increasing sustainability.
The 10 Year Plan is part of the broader statewide initiative called “Your Transportation Plan,” which aims to provide a clear, long-term investment strategy for Colorado’s transportation network. Local governments, community organizations, and the public all contributed feedback during the plan’s development.
Various Upgrades Along I-70
I-70 is the lifeblood of Colorado’s ski industry, connecting the Denver metro area to renowned ski resorts including Vail, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain. The drive from Denver to Vail Pass takes roughly 90 minutes on a weekday, but winter weekends often bring lengthy delays as skiers and snowboarders head for the slopes.
The 10 Year Plan addresses two key sections of the corridor.
The first focuses on the most deteriorated sections of I-70 within Garfield and Eagle Counties, with an emphasis on guardrail replacements and upgrades in the Glenwood Canyon area—one of the most geologically challenging and frequently closed sections of the highway. CDOT has allocated $11 million for these upgrades in the first four years of the plan, with an additional $23 million in the following six.
The second and larger investment targets West Vail Pass, a section that sees some of the heaviest ski traffic in Colorado. Planned upgrades include an additional lane on the uphill portion, a deceleration lane on the downhill portion, runaway truck ramps, a wildlife underpass, and wildlife fencing. This section has $50 million allocated for the first four years and $27 million for the following six, for a total of $77 million—making it the single largest investment in the plan’s mountain corridor work.
I-70’s Issues and Works-in-Progress
The 10 Year Plan does not start from scratch. Over the past decade, CDOT has been steadily working to improve the I-70 corridor for the millions of skiers, snowboarders, and residents who depend on it each year.
The most significant ongoing project is the Floyd Hill improvement, which is adding a new westbound express lane at one of the highway’s most notorious chokepoints. The lane will run eight miles from Floyd Hill before connecting with existing express lanes at the Veterans Memorial Tunnel. It is expected to be completed in 2028.
The new 10 Year Plan builds on that foundation, adding capacity in additional locations and upgrading safety infrastructure along the corridor. Combined with the completion of the Floyd Hill project, the planned improvements could significantly improve safety and traffic flow along one of North America’s busiest ski corridors.
I agree that a reliable high speed rail system would be for more helpful…plus if it were electric, possibly better for the environment…
OH GOOD MORR EXPRESS LANES. Just want my taxes to go to is expanded ways for me to spend money.
For the love of God just build some trains. Cars are choking the life out of this state.
How about we spend the money to fix the road beyond the tunnel. Roads are trash and full of potholes. Yes I got thru the tunnel, darn I got a flat hitting a pothole after.
One Friday this past winter, a single passenger vehicle, barely road worthy and unable to travel faster than about 50 miles per hour, caused a moving traffic jam that stretched from Georgetown to Morrison. Once you moved past this single driver, the road was wide open to Vail minus a short section near Silverthorne.
Build trains. There is no room for wider highways.
Public funding for rail to Winter Park and Steamboat would be very, very cost effective. Much less than making I-70 an eight lane hiway.
Ummm, there is already a Ski Train to Winter Park that runs on the weekends. I think they are planning on expanding it to more days next season.
There is also a plan in place to extend the ski train to Steamboat and beyond. The problem is getting access from the freight lines. Plus the travel time is quite long, I think close to 5 hours. About twice as long as the Winter Park run. The drive time on a good day is 3 hours.
Just remember the saying: When it is snowing, I-70 is closing.
Adding freeway capacity will simply allow more vehicle congestion. As the saying among transportation planners goes — “Adding capacity to solve congestion is like loosening one’s belt to treat obesity.” The money would be better spent on congestion tolling and public transit.
As quickly as they improve I-70, the population will rise fast and overwhelm the new system. Colorado needs a train through the I-70 corridor to take people from the Denver Airport as far west as Grand Junction, Colorado. We need trains, not more highway concrete.