Daytime 1,000-Foot Lane Closure Required Monday and Tuesday on WB I-70 Approaching Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels
CLEAR CREEK COUNTY – As part of the $20 million installation of a Fixed Fire Suppression System (FFSS) in the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels (EJMT), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will require daytime right lane closures on westbound I-70 beginning 1,000 feet before the westbound tunnel bore to install an inlet for drainage purposes. Specific times for the closures are:
- Monday, Sept. 28, 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 29, 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“While the closure is only 1,000-feet long, we understand that there will be impacts to motorists,” said Paul Jesaitis, CDOT Region 1 Transportation Director. “The EJMT is one of Colorado’s most important economic assets and we must protect it and those who use it from long-term damage, making this project so critical.”
While CDOT currently has firefighting capability at the EJMT complex, this project will feature an intelligent linear heat detection system that can accurately identify a fire within feet of its location and subsequently activate the corresponding FFSS deluge zone, bringing water in from an existing supply system on the west side of Loveland Pass. The detection system will also activate cameras so the EJMT onsite control room personnel can view and better assess a fire event.
The Design Build team is led by Barnard Construction, supported by Rondinelli Life Safety, BCER Engineering andWestern States Fire Protection and Systems Group. The team conducted successful live fire tests at the Boulder Regional Fire Training Facility in November 2014. The final design of the FFSS and other supporting infrastructure is complete and construction is scheduled to begin by the end of March. Project completion is scheduled for December 2015.
To sign up for “CDOT Alerts” on projects in your chosen area, visit CDOT’s website at www.codot.gov and choose the envelope icon at the bottom of the page. Or, to see CDOT’s lane closure reports for projects statewide, visit www.codot.gov/travel/
