Westbound Twin Tunnels Weekly Traffic Advisory (Corrected)

This Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project will widen the westbound tunnel bore to accommodate future expansion in the I-70 mountain corridor. Off-peak closures will be implemented while crews prepare the roadways for a traffic switch in April that will put westbound I-70 traffic through the newly completed eastbound tunnel and eastbound I-70 traffic onto the detour route around the tunnel that was in place for the Eastbound Twin Tunnels project.

Both lanes of I-70 have been moved onto to detour routes. Eastbound traffic has been shifted to the frontage road around the tunnel while westbound traffic has been moved into the eastbound tunnel. Now that traffic has been moved onto the detour routes crews will begin working on blasting the rockface and the actual widening of the tunnel. Traffic will be in this alignment throughout construction which is scheduled for completion in December 2014.

Lane closures are scheduled as follows, all work is weather permitting:

• Saturday,  April 5
  • No closures scheduled
• Sunday,  April 6
  • No closures scheduled
• Monday,  April 7
  • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – westbound single lane closure from exit 243 to the Twin Tunnels
  • 8:00 a.m. – 1 a.m. – eastbound single lane closure from the chain station to the Twin Tunnels
• Tuesday,  April 8
  • 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. – eastbound single lane closure from the chain station to the Twin Tunnels
  • Full closure for blasting may be implemented this day. This closure should last between 15 and 30 minutes. For more updated information on time and delays resulting from this blast please sign up for updates by visiting www.coloradodot.info and clicking on the green cell phone icon or call 511.
• Wednesday, April 9
  • No closures scheduled
• Thursday, April 10
  • No closures scheduled
• Friday, April 11
  • Full closure for blasting may be implemented this day. This closure should last between 15 and 30 minutes. For more updated information on time and delays resulting from this blast please sign up for updates by visiting www.coloradodot.info and clicking on the green cell phone icon or call 511.
• Saturday, April 12
  • No closures scheduled
• Sunday, April 13
  • No closures scheduled

Although there are no scheduled lane closures on several days, blasting operations are likely to take place resulting in full closures in both directions and delays along this corridor. In order to receive updated reports on the blasting and scaling schedules for this project sign up for text or email alerts by visiting www.coloradodot.info and clicking on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the homepage.

Blasting operations will occur several times a week throughout the spring and summer. These closures will consist of full stopping of traffic in both directions for blasting and subsequent closures also in both directions for scaling operations. Delays will exceed the time that traffic is stopped and Drivers should be prepared for longer than normal travel times for the duration of this project. While scaling operations are taking place, multiple closures will be implemented each day. CDOT recommends that drivers plan visit www.cotrip.org, call 511 or download the mobile app for updated information on travel times in this area.

CDOT estimates widening the westbound tunnel now will save $5 million to $7 million because the equipment, resources and detour needed to do the work are already in place. Tunnel widening work is scheduled to be complete by the end of this year and at that time all I-70 traffic will be back in its regular alignment. Project completion is scheduled for summer 2015 when County Road 314 is restored to its original configuration with completed facia walls and an improved recreational trailhead.

To receive real-time updates about road conditions in your area, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Information about weekly lane closures will be available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. Live road conditions are available atwww.cotrip.org, downloading the CDOT Mobile app or by calling 511 from anywhere in the state. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and be sure to “Like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coloradodot.