Intermittent 20-minute I-70 closures over Vail Pass expected to impact traffic during summer construction work
Colorado Department of Transportation/Courtesy photo
Work is set to begin again on the Interstate 70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes Project on Monday, June 2, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The project, which started in 2021, aims to improve safety and traffic flow on West Vail Pass with a series of improvements between Vail and the top of Vail Pass, specifically at the East Vail Interchange at mile marker 180 and the Vail Pass Rest Area at mile marker 190, according to CDOT.
Rock-scaling activities are set to cause traffic holds from mid-June to early September, according to CDOT. The holds will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
Intermittent traffic holds will also occur one to two days each week, from mid-June to early September, to allow helicopters to lift avalanche mitigation materials into place. Traffic holds will last for around 20 minutes in both directions, although delays could last longer as traffic queues are cleared.
Recreation trail users in the area could also be held, according to CDOT, during rock scaling and traffic activity. Regular Vail Pass recpath maintenance will also resume in June.
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The I-70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes Project is implementing a text alert notification service to notify motorists of expected impacts. I-70 Mountain Corridor travelers are encouraged to sign up for text alerts by texting vailpass to 21000 to receive real-time, day-of updates on I-70 traffic holds.
