Sun Glare Safety
Beginning in early November through February, the sun’s angle in combination with inclining hills along the highway can create a blinding sun glare for drivers traveling eastbound in the early morning hours. The glare occurs from sunrise until approximately 8:30 a.m. annually during the fall and winter months.
Driver Safety Tips
Motorists should consider adjusting eastbound travel plans to before sunrise or later in the morning if possible. If you can't adjust your travel plans, here are some additional safety tips to help:
- Make sure your windshield is clean – inside and out
- Ensure your vehicle has plenty of windshield wiper fluid
- Wear a good pair of sunglasses to provide shading
- Adjust your speed to avoid sudden reactions
- Let off the accelerator and slow down gradually instead of slamming on the brakes
Floyd Hill Sun Glare Closures
Reminder: Safety closures due to sun glare can occur in the morning hours on eastbound I-70 at Floyd Hill. The sun’s angle, in combination with the hill and the highway’s configuration, can create a blinding sun glare for drivers as they head eastbound up Floyd Hill (about mile point 244 to 248, east of Idaho Springs). The intense sun glare occurs as far east as Genesee beginning around sunrise (expect traffic slowdowns beginning at 6:30 a.m.) and lasting until around 8:30 a.m.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
CDOT provides advance notification of the potential hazard with messages on its electronic sign boards prior to Floyd Hill, alerting motorists of the sun glare and to anticipate slower speeds. Drivers who travel eastbound I-70 in the early morning hours during fall and winter are urged to pay attention to the message boards beginning just east of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel.
Additionally, drivers can check the latest travel alerts by going to cotrip.org. Motorists can also sign up for customized text and email alerts for the I-70 mountain corridor to receive advance notification.
Traffic headed eastbound on I-70 will be rerouted at Exit 244 (US 6) which is at the bottom of Floyd Hill. Motorists can either stay the course on US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon, or they can take the eastbound I-70 frontage road (US 40) and get back onto I-70 at Beaver Brook.
The sun glare closures at Floyd Hill are for the safety of the traveling public. The decision is made on a case by case basis each morning with collaboration between Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and CDOT personnel who are stationed near Floyd Hill. The eastbound sun glare can become blinding for motorists, especially when there is leftover moisture on the roadway from a storm or from pre-storm road treatment materials. On top of that, mountain driving conditions include steep hills, sharp turns, and unknown scenarios such as wildlife crossing the highway. For these reasons, the sun glare safety closures at Floyd Hill become necessary. This is a unified effort between CSP and CDOT to keep motorists as safe as possible.
The closures average around 45 minutes to an hour and can occur between sunrise and 8:30 a.m. from November through February each year. The closure point along eastbound I-70 is at exit 244 (US 6) and motorists should follow the detours outlined above.
