The truck ramp on I-70 will be closed until the summer of 2024

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has closed the truck ramp on I-70 until mid-2024 during construction.

Officials say the ramp, located along eastbound I-70 at mile marker 257 east of Genesee, Colorado, is closed until late May/early June 2024 as part of a major modernization project.

Until the ramp opens, there will be no emergency ramp for trucks traveling eastbound on I-70 from the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel into the Denver metro area. Accordingly, CDOT has taken the following measures to prevent truck accidents:

• CDOT will implement additional safety measures during ramp closures during construction, including installing additional signage and notifying truckers of existing brake cooling zones.
• The speed limit for heavy-duty vehicles will be lowered from 45 mph to 40 mph on exits 253 to 258.
• Eastbound I-70 will have an 11-foot width restriction in the construction zone.

CDOT says the ramp will be significantly improved once construction is completed:

• More durable and visible evacuation ramp.
• Increased viewing distance, giving truckers more time to see the entrance and line up their vehicle to enter the emergency ramp.
• Increased barriers between the edge of the ramp and the adjacent steep embankment, giving truckers added confidence when entering the ramp.
• A pavement detection system that would turn on flashing lights on signs to warn speeding drivers to use the ramp.
• Improved design to allow for later entry if truckers miss the emergency ramp entry.