Cottonwood Pass Concept Design in Eagle & Garfield Counties

About the Project:

CDOT supported Eagle and Garfield counties to design safety improvements on county roads that traverse Cottonwood Pass. Concept designs were prepared with public input for safety improvements at 14 specific locations along the county roads that cross through both Eagle and Garfield counties (six locations in Eagle County, eight in Garfield County). These locations were defined by the counties based on known safety issues.

Although CDOT and both counties agree Cottonwood Pass is not an endorsed detour route for Interstate 70 traffic in the event of a Glenwood Canyon closure, Cottonwood Pass is a vital connection for local residents who rely on it to safely travel between Gypsum and Colorado Highway 82 in the Roaring Fork Valley.

This project assessed existing conditions and defined concept level improvements. Potential site improvements included curve softening, improved sight distance and increased road width in specific areas to accommodate two vehicles passing. Overall widening and broad scale paving of the corridor is planned or being considered.

Schedule & Important Dates

  • Design/Study Start Date: June 2022
  • Design/Study End Date: September 2023
  • Right-of-Way Survey: June to September 2022
  • Data Collection and Review (traffic and safety, geotechnical, environmental): July to October 2022
  • Develop/Evaluate Initial Design Options: August 2022 to February 2023
  • Develop/Refine Design Concepts: December 2022 to March 2023
  • Prepare Concept Design Report: February 2022 to Fall 2023
  • Public and Agency Engagement: Continuous

With the information provided by this project, Eagle and Garfield counties will ultimately determine if and when improvements at each site would move forward. Further design and construction of potential improvements is not funded at this time.

The Cottonwood Pass Concept Design (Eagle and Garfield Counties) project began June 2022 and was completed in September 2023. This project only involves taking the design to a conceptual (approximately 10%) level of completion. Funding for further design and construction has not yet been secured.