$300m Upgrade for Colorado Ski Road

22nd June 2026

The I-70 is the main interstate highway serving Vail, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin,  Copper Mountain and many others.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has approved a 10-year plan to improve the road and reduce the bottlenecks.

Weekends in the winter are especially bad as people head from city of Denver to hit the slopes.

A weekday drive from Denver to Vail Pass typically takes about 90 minutes, severe weekend congestion and winter weather frequently lead traffic to a crawl or a standstill.

Millions of skiers and snowboarders can look forward to a safer and more efficient commute.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has officially approved a comprehensive 10-year, $300 million investment plan aimed at executing major upgrades along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor and other critical alpine routes across the state.

The plan contains more than 250 individual projects.

The two main projects are:

• West Vail Pass Upgrades ($77 Million)
• Garfield and Eagle Counties ($34 Million)

The primary goals are:

• Repair deteriorated roadways
• Maximise motorist safety
• Enhance long-term environmental sustainability

Colorado ski road trip. Image © PlanetSKI