CDOT says post-New Year’s Day weekend traffic could break records on I-70

Andrew Maciejewski/Summit Daily News
An influx of ski traffic coupled with lingering holiday travel could lead to record-breaking traffic on Interstate 70 this weekend, the Colorado Department of Transportation said Thursday.
In a news release, CDOT said that “smaller snow events will still drive ski traffic, which will be combined with holiday travel creating a recipe for heavy traffic” on Friday through Sunday.
The transportation department uses a historical log of traffic data to help it predict travel outlooks on any given weekend throughout the winter season.
Several travel records were set along the I-70 mountain corridor during the 2019-20 season, the last time New Year’s Day fell on a Wednesday, according to the department.
That included the highest combined eastbound and westbound hourly vehicle count through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial tunnels through 6 p.m. on the Friday after New Year’s Day 2020.

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“While traffic counts could vary this weekend compared to 2020, there is a high chance that traffic counts and volume will be similar or may exceed the records set four years ago,” the agency stated. “Motorists should be prepared for extended delays and map out their travel strategy beforehand if they need to be somewhere at a specific time.”
The end-of-year holiday period was projected to break travel records across the United States, according to AAA.
The stretch between Christmas and New Year’s Day has already been a challenging one for Colorado motorists and state highway officials, with winter weather creating hazardous driving conditions that have led to slide-outs, road closures and multi-vehicle pile-ups in the mountains.
On Tuesday, a “serious, multi-vehicle crash” on I-70 near Georgetown caused a roughly three-hour closure of the eastbound lane heading to Denver, officials said.
After a storm that brought snowfall Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, more winter weather is expected Saturday evening with meteorologists predicting 4-8 inches of accumulation in the High Country come Sunday.
CDOT and the I-70 Coalition promote a number of alternate modes of travel aimed at helping alleviate traffic frustration.
Information on the department’s Snowstang, Bustang and Pegasus bus services, including ticket prices and routes, can be found at RideBustang.com. Information on carpooling incentives and programs can be found at GoI70.com/carpool.
Drivers can check the latest travel alerts by going to COTrip.org and sign up for text and email alerts for the I-70 mountain corridor. The latest weather conditions can be found at Weather.gov.