I-70 work takes new steps
Special to the Daily |
VAIL — Interstate 70 traffic this week will return to its normal alignment in both directions between the main Vail and West Vail interchanges. Work will shift to major frontage road construction. The work is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation and town of Vail’s I-70 Vail Underpass project, which aims to decrease interchange congestion and increase mobility by providing another connection between the north and south frontage roads in Vail.
There will be no construction activities during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Beginning Tuesday, each of the frontage roads will be restricted to one-way travel for the short distance through the project site. These restrictions will be in place through November. Frontage road traffic flow will mirror that of I-70 with North Frontage Road serving westbound drivers only from Lion’s Ridge Loop to Timber Ridge and South Frontage Road serving eastbound drivers only from Cascade Resort to Cascade Crossing. Outside the work zone, the frontage roads will accommodate two-way travel between the West Vail and Mail Vail interchanges.
Frontage road drivers traveling in the opposite direction of these one-way sections will be able to turn around or use alternate routes along I-70 or the opposite frontage road to reach their destination. The turnaround point for eastbound drivers using the North Frontage Road will be located at the Timber Ridge Village bus stop, while westbound drivers using the South Frontage Road traffic are advised to use West Lionshead Circle to loop back to I-70 or the North Frontage Road.
All Frontage Road businesses, properties and residences will remain accessible during this phase of the project, but access points will vary in some instances.
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Pedestrians and bicyclists will be restricted from using these one-way sections. North Frontage Road pedestrians and bicyclists will be detoured onto the North Recreation Path while those using South Frontage Road will be directed to use the Gore Valley Trail.
Bus Service Changes
Due to the construction, the West Vail Green line will be suspended while the West Vail Red line will increase frequency to every 20 minutes from the Vail Transit Center west on the North Frontage Road to the South Frontage Road. There are no impacts to other transit providers, including ECO, Bustang and Greyhound.
Work hours during this second project phase are anticipated to be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the frontage road one-way detours will remain in place full time throughout this phase of construction. Drivers can expect delays during construction hours.
In November, the Frontage Roads will return to normal two-way traffic to accommodate the winter tourism season.
Other Interstate Projects
While the underpass work is the most visible project in Vail, there are two other projects through town.
One, a trucker chain-up station along eastbound I-70 in East Vail, will suspend work through the Fourth of July holiday.
Another project, guardrail repair in west Vail will take place Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The eastbound off-ramp at the West Vail exit will be closed during the work.
For More Project Information
For updated underpass project information, visit http://www.codot.gov/projects/i70 vailunderpass, or call 970-685-7706.
To receive project updates via text or email, visit codot.gov and click on the green envelope icon at the bottom of the page. Information about weekly lane closures will be available at coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. Live road conditions are available at cotrip.org, downloading the Colorado Department of Transportation’s mobile app or by calling 511 from anywhere in the state. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and the department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/coloradodot.
