It’s always jarring to drive through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, where, for a few minutes, drivers escape from the often harsh weather into a quiet cocoon of fluorescent lights and ceramic tile.
And then you get to the other side, back into the elements — and, if you’re heading into Summit County, onto some truly awful pavement battered by tens of thousands of vehicles every day and constant freeze-thaw cycles.
“It's just the nature of having a roadway at a much higher elevation,” said Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Elise Thatcher.
CDOT can’t do much about the weather, but crews have started to repave a two-mile stretch of Interstate 70 just west of the tunnel. By this fall drivers should experience much smoother sailing.
Until then, drivers can expect occasional lane closures, lower speed limits, and traffic delays. Much of the work will happen during the day for workers’ safety, though no lanes will be closed during holidays and weekends.
Crews will also replace more than 12,000 feet of guardrail in the area and improve drainage systems.
The project comes after CDOT made similar repairs to I-70 closer to Silverthorne in 2022. I-70 travelers this summer will also likely be delayed near Idaho Springs as CDOT expands the highway at Floyd Hill.
