Work on the I-70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes project in Eagle County is entering its winter shutdown, with construction expected to pause starting Friday, Nov. 7. The project, led by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), aims to improve safety and traffic flow on West Vail Pass.
Crews have logged over 90,000 combined hours this year, averaging about 60 workers on site daily. Major milestones reached in 2025 include opening a new eastbound bridge between East Vail and Vail Pass at Mile Point 185 and an eastbound auxiliary lane between Mile Points 187.3 and 190.
During the winter hiatus, which will last until spring 2026, no lane closures are planned. CDOT stated that minor work may take place away from the roadway but regular travel conditions will resume for motorists with two lanes open in each direction. The newly completed eastbound auxiliary lane will provide three lanes of travel approaching Vail Pass during its first winter season.
To minimize impacts during ski season and ensure effective snow removal, no scheduled closures or significant changes are expected for drivers. The Vail Pass recreation path will not be regularly maintained over the winter; maintenance will resume in spring.
CDOT has introduced an online hub dedicated to the I-70 Mountain Corridor to provide winter driving information and road condition updates. This new resource consolidates tools from COtrip.org and the COtrip Planner app at codot.gov/i70mountain.
“Vail Pass is a critical thoroughfare for our mountain communities. That’s why these safety improvements are so important for the I-70 Mountain Corridor,” said CDOT Region 3 Transportation Director Jason Smith. “With work pausing for the season, we can reflect and appreciate the tremendous progress made this year. Most notably, the new eastbound bridge and auxiliary lane will improve traffic flow and reduce crashes this winter and beyond.”
The new eastbound auxiliary lane gives slower vehicles a dedicated climbing lane over Vail Pass, which helps separate them from faster passenger vehicles to address speed differences that often cause safety concerns along this corridor.
This summer also saw completion of a new eastbound bridge at MP 185.2—designed for a lifespan of one hundred years—with wider shoulders to better accommodate emergency response vehicles if needed.
Sections of eastbound I-70 between Mile Points 179 and 185 were resurfaced to address wear from seasonal use, aiming to improve driving conditions as well as support efficient winter maintenance operations.
In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, CDOT used excess materials from construction to expand a parking lot along Big Horn Road near popular trailheads Gore Lake and Deluge Lake—a change intended to reduce conflicts between parked cars and recreation path users while improving trail access.
CDOT worked with Xcel Energy to install five miles of fiber-optic conduit in a shared trench connecting highway cameras and traveler information systems like those found on COtrip.org—intended to support safe travel through real-time updates.
Nearly two miles of recreation path were rebuilt in summer 2022 as part of ongoing efforts tied into highway improvements; enhancements included drainage systems designed to protect Black Gore Creek from sediment runoff.
Technology upgrades continue alongside utility work at Vail Pass’s westbound interchange (MP 190), where a closure system gate is being installed along with future speed limit signs and message boards.
When construction resumes next spring, crews plan to complete paving operations, finalize wildlife crossings—including underpasses—and install avalanche mitigation measures as well as landscaping around improved sections of roadway.
