Summer Traffic Season Underway

May 27, 2011 - Statewide Transportation Plan - DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding drivers to anticipate heavy traffic in many areas of the state over the Memorial Day weekend.

“It’s the first weekend of the summer tourist season and there’ll be plenty of events taking place throughout Colorado over that three-day period,” says CDOT Executive Director Don Hunt. “We’re reminding people to expect heavier than normal traffic this weekend and make their travel plans accordingly.”

To reduce potential delays, all CDOT construction projects will be suspended statewide by late Friday afternoon. Projects can resume their regular schedules on Tuesday, May 31. The only exception is for emergency operations.

Heavier than normal traffic is expected today and tomorrow on Interstate 70, west of Denver. Westbound traffic will be heavier than normal today and Saturday. Heavier than normal traffic should be anticipated on eastbound I-70 on Memorial Day, May 30, especially between Summit County and the Denver area.

In 2010, the traffic count at the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels was:

	Westbound	Eastbound	Total
Friday, May 28, 2010	23,458	15,449	38,907
Saturday, May 29, 2010	18,912	14,282	33,194
Sunday, May 30, 2010	14,563	18,369	32,932
Monday, May 31,2010	13,466	21,465	34,931
Total	70,399	69,565	139,964

“Tunnel traffic doesn’t tend to break any records over the Memorial Day weekend,” notes Eisenhower Tunnel Superintendent Mike Salamon. “The tourist season is just getting started, there’s still plenty of snow on the ground, especially this year, it’s not real hot along the Front Range yet and some schools are still in session. But it’s going to take a significant jump upward beginning in July.”

Seasonal roads also are opening to traffic. State Highway 82 over Independence Pass now is open between Twin Lakes and Aspen and the Mount Evans Highway (State Highway 5) is open to Summit Lake (11 miles). However, most of Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park remains closed to traffic, due to heavier than normal snowfall this year. It is only open on the east side of the park to Rainbow Curve (12 miles), and on the west side to the Colorado River Trailhead (10 miles).

Information regarding the opening and closing of seasonal highways in Colorado is available at all times on the cotrip.org website or by calling 511. Updates also are offered via e-mail. Please visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the cell-phone icon in the upper right-hand corner. The link takes you to a list of items you can subscribe to, including General Travel Information – Seasonal Mountain Pass Closures/Openings.