Partial Closure of Mount Evans Highway for the season on September 3
CDOT closes the five-mile segment from Summit Lake to the top of Mount Evans (14,264 feet) the day after Labor Day, per agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. The remaining 10 miles, from Echo Lake (Colorado Highway 103) to Summit Lake, will remain open until Monday, October 7 unless adverse weather creates winter-like driving conditions.
If you plan on visiting Mount Evans before the top section of the highway is closed, please keep these tips in mind:
- Expect heavy traffic and limited parking on weekends, especially during holiday weekends.
- Wait times could be 30 minutes and up to an hour or longer on weekends, as record crowds are visiting Mount Evans this summer.
- Labor Day weekend is the busiest weekend of the year, so visitors are encouraged to come before the final weekend.
- The best time to visit is during the week and mornings.
Information regarding the opening and closing of seasonal roads can be found at all times at cotrip.org You can sign up for customized travel alerts via text and email on CDOT’swebsite. For more information about Mount Evans, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/mountevans. You can also call the Clear Creek Ranger’s District at 303-567-4382 or stop by the Idaho Springs Visitor’s Center at 2060 Miner Street, east of downtown Idaho Springs.
REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE
The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.
- Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
- Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
- Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
- Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
- Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
- Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
- Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
- Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
- Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
- Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
- Be patient!
WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.
To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.
ABOUT CDOT
CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Governor Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.
