CDOT opens the eastbound I-70 Mount Vernon emergency escape ramp

Jefferson County — In the event of an emergency, truckers can now use the rebuilt eastbound I-70 Mount Vernon emergency escape ramp, located at Mile Post 257 just east of Genesee. The ramp opened early this morning, June 2.

The Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor Structures Inc. worked non-stop over the last six months on a project to make the ramp more visible and robust for truck drivers to use in the event of an emergency such as failed brakes or a mechanical failure while traveling eastbound on the I-70 mountain corridor into the Denver Region. The key improvements include a much larger concrete barrier or tall wall between the ramp and the steep embankment on the other side and a better ramp design allowing for late entry should truckers miss the escape ramp entrance.

While the ramp is open for emergency use, work continues on other aspects of the project such as additional cameras and better advanced signage, which is expected to be completed in September. The core construction took place over the winter season when hot brakes are at the lowest risk.

The image below is from Friday, May 31, after crews loaded three feet of gravel onto the ramp. This material stops runaway trucks in their tracks when they take the emergency ramp.

Hot Brake Locations

The decline is steep going eastbound on I-70 from the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel to Golden. Truckers are urged to make sure their brakes and rigs are in good working order before driving down the mountain.

• Freight drivers can stop at any of the locations below to check their brakes:
• Eastbound US 6, Mile Point 229 - Loveland Chain Station and Brake Check
• Eastbound I-70, Mile Point 219 - Herman Gulch Chain Station and Brake Check
• Eastbound I-70, Mile Point 228 - Georgetown Chain Station and Brake Check
• Eastbound/Westbound I-70 Dumont Weigh Station, Exit 234 (Downieville-Lawson Exit)
• Eastbound I-70, Mile Point 241 - Idaho Springs Chain Station and Brake Check
• Eastbound I-70, Mile Point 250 - El Rancho Chain Station and Brake Check
• Truck parking off eastbound I-70 at the Walmart Supercenter in Evergreen - Exit 251
• Eastbound I-70, Exit 254 (Genesee Park Exit) - Genesee Brake Check Area

For More Information on Trucker Safety

Hot Brakes | Colorado Department of Transportation - Freight and Permitting