Eagle County governments keep pressure on CDOT to complete extra lane in Vail Pass ‘Narrows’
The 2-mile auxiliary lane was axed from future plans as costs climb on the six-year project
Vail Daily archive
With the town of Vail leading the charge, Eagle County municipalities continue to pressure the Colorado Department of Transportation to complete the safety improvement project on the western portion of Vail Pass as promised. The entities are asking for the 2-mile auxiliary lane in a section known as the Narrows to be completed after being axed due to funding challenges.
In March, the town of Vail became aware that cuts were being made due to rising costs and jumped into action to encourage the department to reconsider.
Following Vail’s lead, the towns of Minturn, Eagle, Avon and Gypsum as well as Eagle County have all written letters to CDOT and various state lawmakers and leaders asking them to find funding and complete the section.
“The concern, as you know, is that with the Vail Pass Project — 10 miles long — and with receiving bids for the next construction package, they’re essentially eliminating the two most important miles,” said Vail Town Manager Russ Forrest during Tuesday’s Vail Town Council meeting.
Along with its letter to CDOT, the town has also made its case to Gov. Jared Polis, Sen. Dylan Roberts and Rep. Meghan Lukens, the I-70 Coalition and Barbara Bowman, the CDOT transportation commissioner for District 7, which includes Eagle County.
Support Local Journalism
“We’re going to continue to push on this until you tell us to stop,” Forrest added.
West Vail Pass project
Construction began on the I-70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes project in 2021 and is expected to continue through 2026. According to the project website, the goal of the work is to “improve safety and operations in both directions of the highway on West Vail Pass,” including lane and infrastructure improvements, relocation of the Vail Pass Recreation Trail, reconstruction of two bridges and more.
In February 2020, the entire project scope was estimated to cost $140 million, $60 million of which came from a federal grant. The project budget has since increased to $325 million due to inflationary costs as well as added scope (totaling $89 million). CDOT has added $95 million in funding due to inflation.
According to a CDOT handout from March 2024 on the project, the following four items have been cut from the project due to these rising costs:
- Shoulder widening in five locations (two eastbound and three westbound) between mile markers 180 and 185
- The auxiliary lane between mile markers 185.5 and 187.3, in the Narrows
- Curve smoothing and a small wildlife crossing at mile marker 186
- An eastbound variable speed limit system from mile markers 185 to 190
To reduce the project’s scope, CDOT will still construct the auxiliary lane starting at mile marker 187 rather than 185, which eliminates the 2-mile-long Narrows section.
In the March 2024 handout from CDOT, the department identifies that between 2016 and 2020, mile marker 188 had the leading crash rate on I-70 in Colorado. The third highest was mile marker 186.
Make staying informed the easiest part of your day.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at VailDaily.com/newsletter
CDOT also notes four reasons for reducing the scope of the project. First, is that it matches phasing for the larger project. Second, it states that the uphill portion to the top of the pass is the most critical and will still be completed. Third, it adds it doesn’t want to complete any “throwaway work” — or temporary fixes — that would have to be changed in future phases and projects. Finally, CDOT says the proposed scope still includes the leading crash rate and allows for safety and operational benefits.
The importance of the ‘Narrows’
In its initial letter to Gov. Jared Polis and Shoshana Lew, the executive director of CDOT, the Vail Town Council wrote that “not completing the improvements through the Narrows as promised is shortsighted and a liability. A meaningful reduction in the number of incidents could be achieved with an auxiliary lane, thereby also reducing the number of I-70 closures.”
Avon’s letter, signed by Mayor Amy Phillips on behalf of the Town Council, calls improving the Narrows section the “crown jewel” of the project.
The letter from the town of Eagle, signed by its Mayor Scott Turnipseed, identifies that “including climbing lanes and curve straightening in the project design were pivotal safety measures.”
“These enhancements mitigate risks associated with differential speeds and inclement weather and address critical issues such as pass closures and emergency response challenges,” Turnipseed adds.
CDOT’s handout notes that there were 671 crashes on West Vail Pass between 2017 and 2021, with over 1,800 hours of full and partial closures during the same period.
In the various letters sent to CDOT and state lawmakers, Eagle County governments expressed the impact that these closures have on the entire Eagle River Valley.
“Closures of Vail Pass affect our entire region due to the limited transportation routes in and out of Eagle County, which puts public safety at risk,” wrote Gypsum Steve Carver in a letter representing the town.
“To highlight this, consider that there are only four paved routes in and out of Eagle County: I-70 to the east over Vail Pass, I-70 to the west through Glenwood Canyon, Hwy 131 to the north from Wolcott, and Hwy 24 to the south from Dowd Junction,” the letter adds.
Gypsum’s letter cites the Grizzly Creek Fire on Aug. 20, 2020, that sparked in Glenwood Canyon. The fire closed I-70 through the Glenwood Canyon, along with Cottonwood Pass, and the Colorado River Road. On the same date, other traffic and fire incidents closed Highways 24 and 131.
“Consequently, on that date, I-70 over Vail Pass was truly the only road in and out of Eagle County (paved or otherwise). While we hope incidents like this are a rarity, if we don’t make the investments that are necessary to reduce these risks, they will continue,” the letter adds.
The letter sent by the Eagle County Board of Commissioners emphasizes that “leaving these elements to be constructed in the future loses significant economies of scale, impacts travelers with an additional round of construction and the cost of the work will only increase with time.”
Sending a message
In addition to expressing the importance of the Narrows section to the overall project and valley, many of the communities expressed concerns over what it means for other projects and collaboration in the region.
“The decision to not construct the Narrows section from the West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane project flies in the face of the collaboration that was achieved by the I-70 PEIS project,” reads the Avon letter. “Prior to the issuance of the ROD in 2011, relations between CDOT and corridor stakeholders were strained, marked by mistrust and antagonism.”
This, the letter adds, has ushered in a new era of collaboration that is critical to continue.
“The decision to forego this crucial component contradicts the collaborative ethos established through the I-70 PEIS process and undermines the trust and goodwill fostered among stakeholders,” Turnipseed wrote.
Carver said the decision to reduce the scope of the project raises concerns about future projects.
“Our long-range concern is that if a high-priority project with the profile of the West Vail Pass Project faces significant scope reductions during construction, leading to a less effective outcome than initially planned, it raises doubts about whether other major infrastructure projects of regional importance in western Colorado can secure the steadfast support needed to see them through to completion,” he wrote.
Specifically, Carver points to the I-70 Eagle Airport Interchange, expressing concern that the scope could be decreased to be “wholly different and less beneficial” due to rising costs.
Finding the funding
Since sending letters in March, Vail and the other municipalities have continued their advocacy efforts.
“Next steps include a follow-up letter we would draft — and others have indicated their interest to sign on for — that would push, particularly headquarters to make every effort to find resources, to find the money,” Forrest said on April 2.
Forrest noted that the two-mile Narrows section of Vail Pass is estimated to cost “around $80 million as we understand it.”
As part of its advocacy, Forrest said the town has “identified a variety of different potential funding sources,” listing a variety of state and federal grants as well as funds.
He added that the Eagle County mayors and managers have also recently discussed “potentially even finding local funds to commit” to help complete the project.
