I-70 Structure Replacement West of EJMT

About the Project

CDOT and contractor partner Kraemer North America have completed the I-70 Structure Replacement: West of the EJMT project in October 2022. The project replaced a failing emergency access structure under Interstate 70 at Mile Post 211 with a new underpass. The new structure, located 2.6 miles west of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels in Summit County, is only open to authorized vehicles such as snowplows, ambulance services and law enforcement. The project was completed on schedule and on budget.

The previous structure, a single-lane concrete box culvert built in the late 1960s during the original construction of I-70, was in poor condition and considered functionally obsolete due to insufficient vertical clearance. The new underpass improves the structural integrity of I-70 in that location and ensures safe access for emergency services to motorists, as well as efficient maintenance and plowing operations.

During construction, project crews safely managed 11 traffic switches and four separate girder installations while keeping reliable interstate travel, sometimes in the challenging continental divide terrain and weather conditions. Crews maintained two westbound and three eastbound travel lanes using various lane closure strategies to keep traffic moving efficiently. Sequential shifts of westbound and eastbound I-70 traffic allowed the project team to install girders and build the new bridges along I-70 in tight right-of-way conditions.