I-70/Vail Underpass detour paving begins Oct. 7
EAGLE COUNTY/VAIL — On Wednesday, Oct. 7, work begins on the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Town of Vail’s I-70/Vail Underpass project that will add roundabouts on both the north and south frontage roads in Vail and an I-70 underpass between the West Vail and Main Vail interchanges. The preliminary work consists of temporary median paving in anticipation of the spring 2016 detours.
TRAFFIC IMPACTS: Work in the I-70 median will occur throughout October, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and is expected to be complete in early November. There will be single-lane closures on both the eastbound and westbound sides of I-70.
“We are excited to begin work on this project that will benefit both the Town of Vail and I-70 commuters,” said Matt Figgs, CDOT Project Engineer. “By performing this median paving now, we can take advantage of the current good weather, helping to mitigate potential weather-related delays in the spring and ensuring we stay on schedule for the main underpass construction.”
Major construction will begin in April 2016. At that time, the median cross-over detours will be used to carry all lanes of I-70 traffic on either the eastbound or westbound sides while the underpass bridge is built on the opposite side of the highway.
Growth in the Town of Vail itself, as well as an increase in visitors, creates congestion along the frontage roads and specifically at the West Vail and Main Vail interchanges with I-70. The idea of an additional underpass between West Vail and Main Vail has been discussed since the 1980s as a way to enhance connectivity and reduce congestion at the West Vail and Main Vail interchanges. The project will take approximately 20 months and is scheduled for completion by December 2017.
For updated project information, visit vailgov.com/underpass, or call 970-685-7706.
PROJECT INFORMATION: To sign up for CDOT updates 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/
