Road tripping in Colorado’s mountains this summer? Construction projects will impact travel on popular routes.

As Colorado residents and visitors begin planning summer trips, transportation officials are reminding travelers that summer is also road construction season in the mountains.

Beginning in June, work on critical infrastructure projects will have noticeable impacts on travel along some popular routes, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Drivers can use COTrip.org to help plan for summer travel or visit CODOT.gov/projects to view a full list of projects happening this summer in the mountains.

Here’s what projects travelers should be aware of:

Interstate 70 corridor

Travelers should expect “significant impacts,” including traffic holds for rock scaling and blasting, along the Interstate 70 corridor due to two ongoing projects, the I-70 Floyd Hill project and the Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane project.

The I-70 Floyd Hill project is located along an 8-mile section of the I-70 mountain corridor from west of Evergreen to eastern Idaho Springs, which the transportation department says “is in desperate need of improvements.”

Travel impacts from the Floyd Hill project could include lane and ramp closures, flaggers and alternating traffic on U.S. Highway 40, 20-minute delays on I-70 due to rock blasting, new traffic patterns, narrowed lanes and reduced speed limits. To sign up for text alerts for the Floyd Hill project, text “floydhill” to 21000.

The I-70 Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane project will result in about 20-minute-long traffic holds Mondays through Thursdays in early to mid-June, between 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. To sign up for text alerts for the I-70 Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane project, text “vailpass” to 21000.

There are also five other smaller projects on the I-70 corridor expected to have lesser impacts on traffic. To learn more about these projects, visit CODOT.gov/projects/i70mountaincorridor. 

Northwestern Colorado

Along U.S. Highway 40 through Winter Park to just before Granby, travelers will encounter three improvement projects, primarily focused on resurfacing and safety improvements, that are expected to cause weekly impacts.

The U.S. Highway 40 projects are expected to involve weekday single-lane closures with alternating traffic, possible lane shifts and reduced speed limits. More information about these projects can be found at CODOT.gov/projects/us40mountaincorridor.

On a popular route along Colorado Highway 82 from Twin Lakes over Independence Pass to Glenwood Springs, travelers will experience three projects focused on resurfacing and safety improvements.

Impacts on Colorado Highway 82 could include 20-minute delays, a speed reduction to 40 mph, one-lane alternating traffic and a 10-foot width restriction.

Northeastern Colorado

Drivers headed toward Estes Park and the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park will encounter one project on U.S. Highway 34 and U.S. Highway 36 focused on improving road safety. Traffic will reportedly be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic in places.

Southwestern Colorado

Rockfall mitigation and wall replacement work will be occurring on U.S. Highway 550 between Durango and Silverton. Impacts will reportedly include two sets of traffic signals directing drivers to single lane alternating traffic through the work zones, holds of up to 20 minutes and speeds reduced to 25 mph.

Construction in downtown Pagosa Springs, including utility upgrades, concrete installation, sidewalk and pedestrian improvements, will also be occurring this summer. Motorists should reportedly expect closures and periodic traffic stops.

In Mineral County along U.S. Highway 160, crews will be overlaying pavement on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass from Treasure Falls to the pass summit, according to the transportation department. Speeds will reportedly be reduced to 40 mph and single lane closures are expected.

In Costilla County along U.S. Highway 160 from Fort Garland to La Veta Pass, the installation of three wildlife underpasses and acceleration and deceleration lanes will result in single-lane closures and shoulder closures, 11-foot width restrictions, traffic detours and reduced speeds.

Southeastern Colorado

In Teller County, improvements to U.S. Highway 24 between Florissant and just west of Woodland Park and along Colorado Highway 67 in Woodland Park could reportedly result in delays up to 15 minutes, single lane closures with alternating traffic and reduced speeds.

In Teller County, widening, mobility and safety improvements on Colorado Highway 67 in Woodland Park from Evergreen Heights Drive to West Kelley’s Road will result in impacts, including lane closures.