What bypass routes are available for I-70 in Colorado?
A friend is going to be traveling this week from Kansas to Utah, presumably via I-70 through Colorado. As a Colorado native, I am aware that certain sections of I-70 (eg, Glenwood Canyon) are frequently subjected to road closures due to rock slides, mudslides, and other inclement weather.
Are there any routes my friend can take in Colorado to bypass these road closures?
Best Answer
There is no easy answer: you just have to monitor the conditions live. If a major highway is closed a lot of the alternatives are often affected too.
At the moment I 80 currently has more than 20 road closure between Cheyenne and Rawlins due to winter weather including 10-ish from Laramie to Rawlins. I70 has only three total.
There is no easy way avoid the mountains: you need to play it by ear or go way down south for a major detour.
Pictures about "What bypass routes are available for I-70 in Colorado?"
What is the steepest grade on I-70 in Colorado?
The Eisenhower Summit is located on Interstate 70, approximately 9 miles east of Dillon, Colorado....Base Elevation:8,795 ftDriving Distance:8.5 milesPosted Speed Limit:60 mph / Trucks over 15 tons, 30 mphSteepest Reported Grade:7% for 7 milesCalculated Average Grade:5.2% for 8.6 miles5 more rowsCan you get the Glenwood Springs on I-70?
Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon opened early Saturday morning, state leaders announced. That's ahead of the Saturday afternoon schedule they'd pushed earlier in the week. \u201cOur team has worked tirelessly to get Glenwood Canyon on I-70 opened as soon as possible and we have made each minute count,\u201d Gov.What cities does I-70 go through in Colorado?
The Interstate runs through or near many major cities, including Denver, Topeka, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. The sections of the Interstate in Missouri and Kansas have laid claim to be the first Interstate in the United States.Is Interstate 70 through Colorado Open?
I-70 through Glenwood Canyon is now open following the Flash Flood Warning, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The organization says no new mudslides were detected and lanes are safe to open....Travel Update: I-70 through Glenwood Canyon is open.I-70 FruitaHorizon DriveI-70 Palisade50 Whitewater50 Delta550 OuraySep 29, 2021The Mountain Rules | I-70 Mountain Corridor Overview
More answers regarding what bypass routes are available for I-70 in Colorado?
Answer 2
I drove from Doc Holliday's place in Colorado Springs (Nov 2021) to Breckenridge and Vail, then to a few abandoned mining towns. Planning on crashing in Aspen, my GPS showed it was 3+ hours because the pass was closed as you mentioned, through March, maybe April. I wound up staying in Leadville—a pleasant surprise. In the end I discovered the only option was to return the way I came. Fortunately, the I-70 doesn't close, or at least the chances are slim. I've driven that route several dozen times over the last five years Oct - Mar.
Closures are definitely between Leadville and Aspen on the 24 and or 82 and north of Aspen on the 82. As snow was dumping throughout the Rockies, I made it to Utah with no problems. Hope this helps.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Pavel Danilyuk, Ketut Subiyanto, Tim Samuel, Tim Samuel