Last Blast for Summer Traffic

September 4, 2015 - Colorado Statewide - DENVER – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is reminding drivers to anticipate heavy traffic in many areas of the state due to the number of events and activities taking place over the Labor Day weekend.

All CDOT construction projects will be suspended statewide by late Friday afternoon to reduce potential delays. The only exception is for emergency operations. Projects resume their regular schedule on Tuesday, September 8.

Heavier than normal weekend traffic is expected on Interstate 25 along the Front Range and on I-70 west of Denver. More traffic than normal will travel westbound I-70 today and Saturday and eastbound I-70 on Labor Day, especially between Summit County and the Denver area. Traffic traditionally is heaviest from late morning through early evening so CDOT advises traveling before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

Last year’s Labor Day weekend traffic numbers at the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels:

	Westbound	Eastbound	Total
Friday, August 29, 2014	29,079	16,127	45,206
Saturday, August 30, 2014	25,730	15,352	41,082
Sunday, August 31, 2014	16,426	22,958	39,384
Monday, September 1, 2014	13,809	28,119	41,928
Total	85,044	82,556	167,600

CDOT is keeping the Mount Evans Highway (State Highway 5) open after this weekend. It normally closes the day after Labor Day from Summit Lake to the top, per an agreement between CDOT and the U.S. Forest Service. This year, it will close in late September or early October or due to adverse weather. Since construction required a highway closure for several weeks earlier this summer, CDOT is keeping it open for several more weeks if weather permits.

Other seasonal roadways – State Highway 82 over Independence Pass between Twin Lakes and Aspen and Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park – remain open through the fall until adverse weather requires a full closure for the winter.

Information regarding the opening and closing of seasonal highways in Colorado is available on thecotrip.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.

Real-time traveler information also is available via CDOT Mobile. It includes highway and traffic conditions and speeds, allowing drivers to make better travel decisions. CDOT Mobile is free and available by downloading CDOT Mobile from the App Store or texting “CDOT” to 25827.