Interstate i70 Colorado

The Spectacular Interstate I70 Colorado

Interstate 70 is the main highway that runs east and west through Colorado. While some highways are straight and boring, I-70 has its share of thrills — and sometimes, during nasty winter storms, chills and spills.

I-70 is one of the main reasons Summit County is so popular. Silverthorne is located right off of I-70, and from there, it’s no more than about a half hour to any major ski resort, including Breckenridge,Copper Mountain, Keystone, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin. Easy access to the mountains via the highway is why so many people from the Front Range (Denver and beyond) come to Summit to play or own a second home. I-70 also takes travelers right to Denver International Airport.

I-70 runs 451 miles through Colorado, up to I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah. Eastward, it goes all the way to Baltimore, Maryland. Road construction began in 1956 and ended in 1992, when Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) widened the road through Glenwood Canyon.

Building a highway through the mountains was no small task. The Eisenhower Tunnel, which opens into Summit County, is the highest tunnel that accommodates vehicles in the world! It rises to 11,158 feet. With its 1.7-mile stretch, it is also the longest that the Interstate highway program ever constructed. Workers began the westbound tunnel in March 1968, finished five years later, then started the eastbound route and completed it four years later, in 1979. Before that, drivers made their way over the narrow hairpin turns of Loveland Pass. Today, trucks carrying hazardous materials (as well as cyclists) still must use Loveland Pass, as they are not allowed through the tunnel.

CDOT counts the number of cars that pass through the tunnel, and that information helps businesses in Summit County plan for busy weekends annually. In 2007, more than 11.7 million cars drove through it, creating an average daily total of 32,260. July was the busiest month, which supports the assertion that Summit County is no longer just a winter destination (of course, not all of those vehicles stopped in Summit County, but increased summer traffic in Summit County does indicate that more and more people are visiting here).

Highway traffic has become an increasing problem during the weekends, as Front Rangers and other visitors come up Friday evening or early Saturday morning, then leave Sunday evening. To avoid a daily commute, a good number of Front Rangers own a second home in Summit County, and a large number of them are beginning to pull together a few couples and rent a condo for the ski season, which they usually only use on weekends. Others leave at 5:30 a.m. to avoid bumper-to-bumper slowing and stay late on Sunday night. Highway task forces are looking at various solutions to the problem, but so far, a viable plan has not emerged.

Some of the most scenic, and sometimes treacherous, portions of I-70 include Vail Pass (elevation 10,666 feet), just west of Copper Mountain, and Glenwood Canyon, about an hour west of Vail. In Glenwood Canyon, the highway borders the Colorado River, and huge cliff rocks become the walls that contain the highway.

CDOT sometimes closes the road in the winter due to accidents (and occasional avalanche danger, or, in the summer, rock slides). If travelers become stranded, nearby towns set up local shelters. If you’re driving on interstate I-70 — or any road in the High Country — during the winter, it’s smart to bring water, snacks, boots, blankets, a book and other emergency items in case you do get stuck for a couple hours on the road. Though it’s only occassional, it happens enough that plenty of locals and visitors have stories of being stopped for at least an hour, so it’s best to be prepared.

Also, it’s imperative that you drive with extreme caution when negotiating slippery roads. SUVs aren’t super-vehicles — too many drivers go too fast in them, feeling a false sense of security, then skid off the road, often ending up upside-down. Give yourself more than enough time to reach your destination, have proper snow tires, maintain plenty of distance between yourself and other vehicles, and you should remain safe.

Provided by Breckenridge Colorado real estate

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