Governor Polis, CDOT officials open emergency truck ramp as part of I-70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes project

Monday, December 6, 2021

Improved ramp at Mile Point 182 first of several safety upgrades

EAGLE COUNTY — Gov. Jared Polis joined officials from the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association Monday afternoon to open a new emergency truck ramp along westbound I-70 at the bottom of Vail Pass. This truck ramp is the first of several safety improvements being made as part of the $164.2 million I-70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes project. Please click here for photos and video from the event. 

This new emergency ramp provides truck drivers with a straighter path off the highway to reduce the likelihood of trucks tipping over. It also features a settlement basin beneath it so should there be any type of hazardous spill, it can be contained on site and cleaned up with no impact to Gore Creek.

Providing a safe route for runaway trucks is just one way CDOT is making travel over Vail Pass safer for everyone and helping to minimize the number of accidents that close I-70 -- the state’s most critical corridor for interstate commerce and tourism.

“This project reduces closures of Vail Pass and therefore reduces traffic and trip times to the high country. This improvement represents the start of better things to come for the Coloradans and businesses that rely on Vail Pass. The safety improvements this project brings and the improved access for emergency service vehicles will reduce the number of closures on Vail Pass, saving Coloradans time and money and supporting  our local economy,” said Gov. Polis.

CDOT is looking to reduce the number of times Vail Pass is closed for incidents with this improved truck ramp and the other safety features planned as part of this project over the next few years. 

“The West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes project will reconstruct aging bridges, straighten out tight curves, widen shoulders to accommodate emergency service access and add five miles of an eastbound auxiliary lane to improve travel to the top of Vail Pass,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.

Project construction is on winter hiatus and work on these other project elements is scheduled to resume in spring 2022, spanning 10 miles of Interstate 70 from East Vail to the top of Vail Pass. Major construction will be completed in 2025. 

Funding for this first phase of the project comes in part from a $60.7 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant CDOT received in June 2020 from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This grant, combined with other funding sources, will allow for the design and construction of these Phase 1 INFRA improvements: 

  • An eastbound I-70 auxiliary lane with widened shoulders between Mile Points 185 and 190

  • Westbound curve modifications with widened shoulders at Mile Points 186 and 188

  • Bridge replacements along eastbound and westbound I-70 near Mile Point 185.3  

  • Truck ramp reconstruction at Mile Point 182

  • Improved signage and incorporation of Active Traffic Management system

  • Variable speed limit signs

  • Highway closure system

  • Six wildlife underpasses and fencing

  • Relocation of the Vail Pass recreational trail between Mile Points 185 and 187

Stay Informed

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Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts, anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

About CDOT

CDOT‘s Whole System-Whole Safety program has one simple mission — to get everyone home safely. Our approximately 3,000 employees work tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. The department manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.