Mount Evans Highway Opens Friday

May 24, 2012 - Central Eastern Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - CLEAR CREEK COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will open the Mount Evans Highway – State Highway 5 – for the season on Friday, May 25, at noon.

It will remain open every day, weather permitting, from Echo Lake to the top of Mount Evans (14,264 feet), through Labor Day weekend.

Highway 5 is in good condition with the exception of two locations near Summit Lake where frost heave has damaged the road. Frost heave is when ice forms beneath the road surface and lifts or “heaves” the road upward, creating a bump. Signage will be in place to warn drivers and bicyclists of the damage and to use extra caution. CDOT will monitor this area throughout the summer and conduct repairs as needed.

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.