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Eastbound lanes of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon to reopen June 11

Staff Report
Eastbound I-70 load restrictions through Glenwood Canyon are scheduled to end on Tuesday, June 11, when the eastbound lanes reopen at the east end of the canyon. Restrictions on westbound lanes will remain in effect until later this month.
Staff Photo |

GARFIELD COUNTY — Traffic returns to the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon today, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Since late March, two-way traffic has shared the westbound lanes of I-70 at a reduced 40 mph speed limit for six miles at the east end of the canyon to accommodate construction. The eastbound lanes were to be switched back to normal configuration at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning after the barrier east of Hanging Lake Tunnel is removed.

Westbound traffic will remain reduced to a single lane, however, while the temporary two-way striping is removed and replaced and the bridge work at Bair Ranch is completed. The restriping will be done during the week and as soon as it’s finished, CDOT will shorten the westbound lane restriction to just the bridge section at Bair Ranch. The westbound lane closure at Bair Ranch will remain in place until the project’s completion, which is scheduled for on or before June 26.



The work that began in March is the fourth in a series of phased projects to reconstruct I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in concrete. The first three phases reconstructed the interstate west of Hanging Lake Tunnel between No Name Tunnel at milepost 118 and Hanging Lake Tunnel at milepost 125.

This $7.9 million project to reconstruct the eastbound lanes of I-70 from Hanging Lake Tunnel to east of the Bair Ranch Exit in concrete is expected to extend the life of the highway for up to 30 years, depending on traffic volumes and weather, according to CDOT.



In addition to concrete reconstruction, the project involves bridge expansion joint work at two I-70 bridges and two ramp bridges near Bair Ranch, as well as asphalt milling and resurfacing at the Bair Ranch rest area parking lot.

The project also includes a weather-proofing surface on the eastbound bridge at Bair Ranch, a polyester concrete overlay intended to provide 30 years of bridge deck preservation, weather-proofing and skid resistance.

The 12-foot width restriction for westbound traffic will remain in place while the single-lane closure is in effect.


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