I-70 Westbound Bakerville to Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel Climbing Lane Environmental Study

I-70 EJMT Bakerville Auxilliary Lane location - winter roadway

About the Project

Work began on this project in 2022 and was paused in Fall 2023 until more funding is available for future construction of the project. CDOT identified improvements to approximately 6 miles of westbound Interstate 70 (I-70) in Clear Creek County, west of Georgetown, Colorado. The I-70 Westbound Bakerville to Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel Climbing Lane Project (Project) would add a westbound auxiliary or climbing lane on I-70 between the Bakerville interchange (approximate milepost 221) to the east portal of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels (approximate milepost 215).

The Project is one of several auxiliary lane projects identified as a “specific highway improvement” in the Preferred Alternative Minimum Program of highway improvements in the I-70 Mountain Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) Record of Decision (ROD). It addresses a location of steep grades along the corridor where conflicts between slow-moving vehicles and other traffic cause safety and mobility issues.

The project evaluated improvements to the Loveland interchange at I-70 and US 6, which was identified for improvement in the PEIS due to short on- and off-ramps and high concentrations of crashes, as well as wildlife mitigation to reduce the impact of I-70 on wildlife movement in the Mountain Corridor.

Project Area Map

Bakerville Website Map EJMT Bakerville

Project Elements

The project includes an approximately six-mile-long westbound “climbing” lane for slow-moving vehicles, realignment of the US 6/Loveland Pass interchange, new wildlife crossings under I-70, and improvements to truck chain stations as described below.

Project Schedule

CDOT began planning for this project in 2022 and made great progress in identifying design concepts for the climbing lane and associated features, such as chain stations and wildlife crossings, completing Steps 1 through 4 of the 6-Step Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) process shown below. However, until construction funding is identified, CDOT decided in Fall 2023 to pause work on the project. The project will remain on CDOT's 10-Year Plan while CDOT evaluates funding opportunities and the timeframe of delivering the project.