GoI70

Posts Tagged ‘delays’

Some noteworthy travel updates for this Thanksgiving Holiday week and weekend:

Traffic will be fairly spread out Wednesday-Sunday, but expect approximately 15 minute westbound delays Wednesday noon-6:00 p.m., and Friday/Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. 

Eastbound delays should be expected Saturday and Sunday during the mid-late afternoon timeframe.  Keep an eye on GoI70.com/mobile for the real time status of delays, as well as Messages from your fellow travelers!

Expect lane closures both EB and WB Monday-Wednesday from 7:00 am- 4:00 pm at the Twin Tunnels, and the Hanging Lake Rest Area in Glenwood Canyon will be closed November 28-December 2.

CDOT’s Courtesy Patrol Begins

The Courtesy Patrol program begins on Friday, November 25.  Drivers of passenger and other smaller vehicles are provided free roadside assistance for services such as flat tires, fuel or water transfer, jump starts, short-distance towing, accident scene protection and minor mechanical assistance.  Three pickups and a tow truck patrol I-70 between the top of Floyd Hill and Vail, looking for disabled vehicles.  Truck personnel also respond to requests from the Colorado State Patrol, local police or the Eisenhower Tunnel.  Courtesy Patrol operates primarily on weekends (Saturdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m./Sundays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.), including the holiday weekends of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day.  Following the holidays, patrols will run every weekend through April 1, 2012.

Have a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

  to have the latest updates sent right to your computer or phone!

Expect various EB and WB lane closures on Floyd Hill between MM 241 & MM 247 beginning 7:00 am November 14 & ending 4:00 pm on November 18.   Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected during the night shift. All work is weather permitting.

The right hand lane or the left hand lane at mile post 208.6-208.8 near Georgetown Hill will be closed for both EB & WB traffic November 14-17 8:00 am-4:00 pm and November 18 8am-Noon. Only one lane in each direction will be closed at a time.

Expect road work in the Floyd Hill area of I70 the week of Oct 31-Nov 4 during the day and night.  Beginning 7:00 am Monday & ending 4:00 pm Friday, various EB and WB lanes will be closed between MM 241 & MM 247. Delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected.  This information was provided by CDOT.

Floyd Hill:
CDOT begins rotomilling and paving Interstate 70 between the top of Floyd Hill and the Twin Tunnels on Sunday, August 7.
Project hours are:
• Sunday – 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Monday through Thursday – 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Work hours will be adjusted, as needed, to maintain adequate traffic flow through the area.
Traffic impacts will vary, depending on the work zone location:
• Between the Twin Tunnels and U.S. 6 – Only one lane open on eastbound or westbound I-70.
• Between U.S. 6 and the top of Floyd Hill – Eastbound or westbound I-70 will be closed between the bottom of Floyd Hill and the Beaver Brook Interchange (Exit 248), with traffic detoured to U.S. 6 and U.S. 40. To maintain safety due to additional traffic, law enforcement officers and flaggers will be directing vehicles along the 4 ½ mile detour route. Temporary stops signs also will be placed at key locations where side road traffic normally does not stop.
The project begins on eastbound I-70, at the east portal of the Twin Tunnels, and proceeds east to the top of Floyd Hill. It then switches to westbound I-70, moving west from the top of Floyd Hill.
Work also includes reconstructing the bridge at the bottom of Floyd Hill on westbound I-70. The paving and bridge work is expected to be completed by mid-September. Remaining items, such as striping and finishing work, will be done by September 30, 2011.

Vail Pass:
Construction continues Monday through Thursday from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. and until noon on Fridays. PLEASE NOTE: while the traffic holds will last for 5 minutes, delays will exceed that time, as traffic queues are cleared.
During construction hours, motorists can expect single-lane closures in both directions. The project goal is to minimize traffic delays to 20 minutes during normal travel conditions. The work on West Vail Pass will continue through September.

Friday Westbound Trip
Folks are leaving work early on Friday afternoons to head up the hill.  Westbound delays begin right around 2:00, peak between 4:00-5:00, and drop off around 7:00 p.m.   These delays are not typically significant, with a 15-22 minute delay at the peak.

Eastbound Trip
Saturday eastbound traffic is spread out enough that, barring an accident, there is not much congestion.  Sundays are a different story.  Maybe you can stay Sunday night in the mountains and head back to the Front Range early Monday morning?  Sunday eastbound traffic will build quickly around 11:00, peak between 3:00-5:00 and dissipates around 8:00 p.m.  2008 delays peaked at 96 minutes, and last year on this weekend, the peak delay was about 60 minutes.

Check out the GoI70 Deals section for things to do while you wait out the traffic Sunday evening.  Have a great weekend!

Want traffic updates sent to your smart phone?

On this weekend on previous years, there were no significant delays westbound on Friday evening, or eastbound on Saturday afternoon/evening. You can expect heavy traffic eastbound on Sunday afternoon and evening. The historic pattern has been that congestion begins as early as 11:30 and peaks around 4:00 p.m. With folks trying to enjoy every bit of daylight in the mountains, the traffic did not diminish until approximately 8:00 p.m. Plan to stay in the high country for a later dinner and enjoy more open road on the way home!

Silverthorne/Dillon Interchange Improvements Proposed
Citizens are invited to a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) public meeting next week where alternatives to improve the Interstate 70 Silverthorne/Dillon Interchange (Exit 205) will be presented.

The open house is on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Silverthorne Pavilion, 400 Blue River Parkway. Persons with special access or translation needs should contact Megan Alderton at 303-478-8316 up to 72 hours prior to the meeting to make arrangements.

CDOT is studying how best to address the interchange’s future mobility, access and safety issues. Three potential alternatives are being considered for improving the interchange, along with design options for the ramps. Attendees are encouraged to discuss the feasibility of each alternative and suggest possible modifications.

Do you want timely info on traffic conditions, and to know how long the current delays are, broken out by segements of I70 via text?   

Summer is in full swing, which means lots of folks are heading up I70 in search of trails, rivers, wildflowers and music festivals.  Looking at the historical data, traffic is well-distributed westbound on weekend mornings.  The late June eastbound Saturday traffic is not as significant as Sunday, and tends to peak in the early evening.   Eastbound travel on Sundays in late June typically follows the winter formula – building around 1:00, peaking at 4:00 and dropping off soon after 6:00 p.m.   In the summer, weather plays a larger factor in traveler behavior.  If rain showers move in early in the day, expect the masses to head to the Front Range early as well.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is advising drivers to be prepared for approximately 1300 bicyclists on Interstate 70, east of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT), on Saturday, June 25.

An eastbound paving operation on Vail Pass (MP 180 and 190) is causing eastbound congestion in late afternoons, Mon-Thur.  The project will be completed in July.

Summer Deals
The GoI70 Deals section has been updated and expanded for summer.  Corridor businesses have created specials with you, the I70 traveler, in mind.  Check out the offerings!

We Need More Eyes
If you use Twitter and travel the I70 corridor, we want to hear from you.  The very unique thing about GoI70.com is that it is a TWO WAY communication tool.  See traffic building due to volume or an accident, or any other newsworthy event?  Help out your fellow travelers and post that information to GoI70.com/mobile under Messages.  Just use your Twitter login information – quick and easy.

Have fun out there this weekend!

GEORGETOWN HILL
CDOT is planning to stop traffic on Interstate 70 at Georgetown Hill on Monday, May 23, for rockfall fence installation above the highway. Traffic stops are required to maximize safety for the traveling public.

Beginning at about 10:30 a.m., drivers can expect traffic stops up to 20 minutes on eastbound and westbound I-70.   Westbound traffic will be stopped at the Georgetown Interchange (Exit 228); eastbound traffic at the Silver Plume Interchange (Exit 226).  CDOT expects to stop traffic several times throughout the day, with the stops concluding by late afternoon.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (May 24 – 26), one lane will be closed on westbound I-70 at Georgetown Hill.  Drivers should anticipate some slowing through the area from 10:30 a.m. to sundown, since traffic will be reduced to one lane for additional rockfall fence work.

FLOYD HILL
CDOT will be closing westbound Interstate 70 in the Floyd Hill area again next week to allow full-width expansion joints to be removed and replaced across the Clear Creek Bridge.  Work is being rescheduled due to rain and snow this week.

All lanes of westbound I-70 will be closed, from the Beaver Brook Interchange (Exit 248) west to the U.S. 6 Interchange (Exit 244), during the following hours:

Traffic will be detoured off I-70 at Beaver Brook – Exit 248, and use U.S. 40 (parallels I-70) to U.S. 6, at the bottom of Floyd Hill.  All traffic then will take U.S. 6 back to I-70.

To maintain safety due to additional traffic, law enforcement officers and flaggers will be directing vehicles along the 4 ½ mile detour route.  Temporary stops signs also will be placed at key locations along U.S. 40 where side road traffic normally does not stop.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (May 24-26), only one lane will be open on eastbound I-70, from the Twin Tunnels to the U.S. 6 junction, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., for expansion joint replacement at the Hidden Valley Bridge.

Daytime work also will be taking place under the I-70 Clear Creek Bridge next week.  Occasional ramp closures will be necessary at the U.S. 6 interchange from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Detours will be in place to maintain access to U.S. 6 and I-70.

All work is weather permitting.

Floyd Hill Overnight Closure This Week
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be closing westbound I-70 overnight in the Floyd Hill area this week to allow full-width expansion joints to be removed and replaced across the Clear Creek Bridge.  Replacing the joints periodically can extend the life of a bridge several years.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (May 9-11), from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., all lanes of westbound I-70 will be closed from the Beaver Brook Interchange (Exit 248) west to the U.S. 6 Interchange (Exit 244). Traffic will be detoured off I-70 at Beaver Brook – Exit 248, and use U.S. 40 (parallels I-70) to U.S. 6, at the bottom of Floyd Hill. All traffic then will take U.S. 6 back to I-70.

The bridge work moves one mile west to Hidden Valley on Wednesday night. Single lane closures will be in place on eastbound and westbound I-70, between the Twin Tunnels and the U.S. 6 junction, from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

Other Closures This Week:
There are several right lane westbound closures planned for sections of Summit and Clear Creek County this week for rail work and sand clean up.  A single EB and WB lane will be closed overnight in the Eisenhower Tunnels this week from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

It is construction season so be prepared, and be patient!

SkiBusColorado is giving ski bus service along the I70 corridor a go!   Buses will depart Saturdays beginning in March from Breeze and Colorado Ski & Golf locations in Aurora, Lakewood and Littleton and go directly to both Keystone and Breckenridge Resorts. These aren’t rickety old school buses either, they are modern, state-of-the-art motorcoaches with comfortable reclining seats, overhead reading lamps, an onboard restroom, and TV monitors for watching movies/videos. Purchase a lift ticket/bus ticket combo, or a bus-only ticket for $39. The latter is perfect for season pass holders. If successful, other pick up locations and ski area destinations will be added.  It has been many years since a bus service to ski areas has been attempted, and the I70 Coalition is supportive of this effort to potentially get cars off the road! Learn more about prices, times and pick up locations at http://www.skibuscolorado.com  Have comments on how effective you think ski bus service will be in reducing congestion or the service in general? Let us hear from you in the Comments section below!

The next Prize Drawing will include:
Arapahoe Basin Lift Ticket
Sigg Water Bottle
Teko Ski Socks

Not on the GoI70 email list?  Sign up here and automatically be entered to win these and other prizes.

Weekend Travel Forecast:
Moderate to heavy snow is forecasted for Friday and Friday night, with lighter snow for Saturday and Sunday.    Here is the traffic you might expect this weekend:

Westbound to the Mountains
Saturday traffic the past two years built up quickly at 6:00 a.m., peaked at 8:00 a.m. with an approximate 45 minute delay, and traffic dropped off dramatically after 10:00 a.m. Strangely, there were no westbound morning delays on the last Sunday in February in recent years.

Eastbound to Front Range
Past Saturdays, eastbound congestion started at 2:00 p.m., peaked at 4:00 and dropped to almost no delays just after 6:00 p.m. On Sunday, folks headed for home earlier resulting in traffic building closer to 1:00 p.m. The peak hit between 4:00-4:30, and the road cleared by about 6:30.

REMEMBER, CDOT has frequently metered traffic EB on weekend evenings which means up to 20 minute traffic stops at the tunnel. This can sometimes cause the delays to continue past the usual 6:00 p.m. timeframe. Check GoI70.com/mobile before you jump on the road to see if CDOT is metering, and what the traffic is like at that moment.

Enjoy the fresh snow this weekend!

To receive timely info on the traffic delays and road closures,