June 11, 2008
I-70 PAVING SET TO START WEST OF TUNNEL
SUMMIT COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is beginning rotomill operations on westbound Interstate 70 in the Silverthorne area as part of its paving project from the Eisenhower Tunnel to the top of Silverthorne Hill (mile 203.5). Work includes guardrail replacement, minor bridge repair, erosion control, culvert pipe work and striping. A one to two mile segment of eastbound and westbound I-70, east from the Eisenhower Tunnel, also will be paved in late summer.
Paving begins on Monday morning, June 16. Due to safety concerns from the steep downgrade between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne, ALL WESTBOUND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES OVER 26,000 gross vehicle weight will be detoured over Loveland Pass during paving operations, scheduled Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All detoured traffic can return to I-70 at Silverthorne.
All other work, both on- and off-road takes place around the clock, from 10 p.m. Sundays until noon on Fridays. One or two lanes will be closed. The speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the work zone. Only minor delays are anticipated during project hours but CDOT will monitor traffic and adjust and/or remove lane closures if long backups develop.
Any work that could impact traffic will be suspended for the Independence Day and Labor Day holidays.
“There could be some traffic impacts at times but this is the mountain paving season and we have limited time each year to make these necessary improvements,” said CDOT Project Engineer Kevin Brown. “As with the eastbound segment we paved last year, westbound I-70 also requires a new road surface and this project is a continuation of that project.”
Asphalt Specialties Co. of Henderson, CO is the contractor for the $4.5 million project. It is scheduled for completion in September 2008.
Motorists are reminded to please Slow for the Cone Zone, stay alert and pay attention to and obey all work zone/advisory signs and flaggers.
Traffic information about this or other CDOT projects is on the cotrip.org website or by calling 511.