Colorado transportation officials plan to use toll revenues collected on interstates 25 and 70 to support the state’s popular Bustang bus service as they scramble to close a roughly $25 million annual deficit.

Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew laid out the long-term funding plan, which keeps the money tied to the bus services on the interstate from which the tolls were collected, during a joint work session last week with the state’s Transportation Commission and Transportation Investment Office.

“We must — in a more constrained fiscal environment — chart a path forward to continue funding these important statewide transit routes at frequency, service levels and quality that can compete for riders’ demand,” Lew wrote in a letter to the two transportation entities. “This is a top priority for our team.”

Bustang offers three main lines: The North and South lines on I-25 and the West Line between Denver and Grand Junction on I-70. It also includes the Outrider service that connects rural areas to the larger bus system, Snowstang, which brings skiers from Denver to four mountains, and Pegasus, a faster shuttle-van option on I-70.

Ridership on the bus service has doubled in the past three years to more than 350,000 bus trips annually, according to the state transportation department. But, in February, officials told the Colorado Transportation Commission, which oversees CDOT’s budget, that state and federal funding that allowed the Bustang program to expand over the past few years would run out by July, leaving the program with an annual deficit of $25-35 million.

While the toll revenues are part of the long-term solution for Bustang, Lew said additional funding will have to be identified to support the I-70 West Line, and officials will continue to have to move money around to prop up the bus service in the short-term.

“The Bustang family of services provides vital connections across the state, standing out as a national model of success for interregional transit,” she said. “… The frequency and reliability that we have added in recent years make it a service that Coloradans can turn to as an additional choice for travel.”

Tolls wouldn’t cover all of I-70 West Line costs

The only tolls on I-70 and I-25 in Colorado are express lanes that give drivers “the choice of a more reliable trip” by paying a toll, according to the state transportation department. The I-70 Mountain Express Lanes from Idaho Springs to Empire cost between about $6 and $18 when they’re open during peak travel periods.

Lew said that state law allows for toll revenues to be used for bus services. While toll revenues collected on I-25 would cover the bus service there without impacting the region’s 10-year plan for capital projects, she said additional sources of funding will have to be identified on I-70, where Bustang is more expensive to operate.

“Our recommendation is … we be strategic about investing excess toll revenues in running the North and South lines along the I-25 corridor,” Lew said. “Then, focus on the (I-70) West Line with other revenues, including toll revenues but also other sources that we will need to continue working through over the next couple months.”

Lew said that the transportation department explored whether there would be support for a legislative change to allow toll revenues collected on I-25 to help fund Bustang operations on I-70 “that serve an overlapping user base.” However, she said that “such a change would generate significant consternation among I-25 partners in particular,” so the plan is to keep funds linked to the interstate on which they were collected.

Paul DeRocher, the director of CDOT’s division of transit and rail, explained that I-70 West Line is the most expensive of the Bustang services, due to the distance that the line covers and the 15 daily round-trips that it offers. While the I-25 North and South lines each cost about $6 million to run, he said the I-70 West Line costs roughly $23 million.

Lew wrote in her letter that officials will have to “seriously explore” moving Bustang operations to the Colorado Transportation Investment Office “to better align business functions with use of toll revenues as a significant funding source.” 

The Colorado Transportation Investment Office is an independent, government-owned business within the transportation department with a legal responsibility to seek out means for financing transportation infrastructure projects in the state, according to the CDOT website. It operates and manages the state’s express lanes.

Transit officials to continue exploring short-term funding options

During its meeting on Friday, the Colorado Transportation Commission also unanimously approved a budget amendment to reallocate about $16 million in funding to help support the Bustang program in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

DeRocher said that the reallocated funding includes about $12 million from the transportation department’s Innovative Mobility Program and about $4 million from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds. The transportation department expects to request another $2 million in air quality funds for Bustang during the next fiscal year, which he said will get the program within “striking distance” of the funding it needs.

After those reallocations, Bustang program remains about $7 million short in fiscal year 2027, DeRocher said. He said that the transportation department has several options to close that gap, including service optimizations, deferral of capital costs such as new buses, or allocation of transportation commission reserved funds.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin work at one of Summit County’s busiest interchanges, Interstate 70 Exit 203, in Frisco on Monday, April 20. 

Contractor Zak Dirt and CDOT crews will work day and night shifts Monday through Saturday with occasional Sundays as needed, according to a news release sent by Austyn Dineen, Interstate 70 mountain corridor communications manager. Day shifts will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while night shifts will be 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The project aims to reduce traffic congestion, enhance safety features and add bicycle and pedestrian connections along Colorado Highway 9, Lusher Court and Dillon Dam Road at the north end of Frisco — an area that has long experienced heavy backups during peak travel times. 

In early May, CDOT has planned a short-term daytime detour on Dillon Dam Road to accommodate a sewer installation. Otherwise, CDOT plans to only close lanes on Highway 9 and Interstate 70 during nighttime hours — between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. — to minimize impacts to daytime traffic. During the night shift, crews will place lane barriers and begin re-striping. 

No full road closures are anticipated during the first stage of construction, which is scheduled to end before November of this year. The second stage will likely commence in April 2027 following a winter shutdown. While CDOT has said impacts will be felt during both construction seasons, officials have indicated that 2027 will likely bring the most disruption as major roadway features are completed. 

Construction will occur in multiple phases, with work this year focusing on foundational elements, including work on the Interstate 70 bridge structure, retaining walls and part or all of a new Highway 9 underpass. Next year, crews are expected to complete the bridge and construct a new frontage road bypass under Highway 9 to link Dillon Dam Road and Lusher Court to further relieve traffic at the interchange just slightly to the north. 

The first phase of work also entails a short-term reconfiguration of traffic lanes along Highway 9 and the Interstate 70 exit ramps to allow roadwork to proceed safely. Additionally, CDOT plans to widen the Interstate 70 overpass and add a 10-foot-wide multi-use path to more safely accommodate cyclists and pedestrians traveling over the interstate. 

While exiting onto the I-70 westbound offramp for Exit 203 will remain a single lane, widening the offramp to two lanes should better hold traffic, according to Scott Harris, project manager with CDOT. Eventually, a traffic signal will be added to the I-70 westbound Exit 203 offramp in lieu of a roundabout. 

CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew wrote in a news release that the project to redesign the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, starting with Exit 203, has been in development for nearly five years.

“Breaking ground on the Exit 203 project marks a major milestone for the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, the primary thoroughfare to our popular mountain communities,” Lew wrote. “By enhancing multimodal access through regional services like Bustang and county-wide offerings like the Summit Stage, we are ensuring a safer, more efficient interchange for our local residents and the millions of visitors who travel through this gateway.” 

The Exit 203 interchange has long been identified as a chokepoint in Summit County’s transportation network, particularly during peak travel seasons when a larger volume of interstate traffic converges with local travel along Highway 9. The heavy traffic and congestion — driven both by daily commuters and vacationers heading to ski resort and recreation areas — frequently lead to back-ups on exit ramps and create safety concerns for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. 

Transportation officials say the redesign will separate local and through traffic, reduce stop-and-go conditions and modernize infrastructure that has struggled to keep pace with growing demand. 

Construction will also address aging stormwater and utility infrastructure between Highway 9 and Dillon Dam Road. According to CDOT officials, the combination of traffic capacity improvements, expanded travel options and safety upgrades will better accommodate growth in both local populations and visitor numbers while reducing congestion at one of the county’s busiest gateways. 

Residents interested in learning more about CDOT’s planned construction near Frisco can access a project resource page at CODOT.gov/projects/i70-exit203-interchange-frisco, or sign up for project updates at Subscription.COtrip.org.

After a historically low-snow winter, the Colorado Department of Transportation is kicking off projects along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor as the construction season once again gets underway.

On I-70, continued work on  Floyd Hill and West Vail Pass will once again result in significant roadway impacts, including holds and shifts in traffic patterns, CDOT communications manager Austyn Dineen said in an email.

Other projects, such as the two-year project to build a new interchange at Exit 203 to Frisco or repairs to bridges through Glenwood Canyon, will also result in some less significant traffic impacts, such as delays and lane closures, Dineen said.

With the hot, dry conditions this past winter, she said the transportation department expects elevated fire danger this summer, so drivers should dispose of cigarette butts properly, secure any chains to prevent sparks and report any fires immediately.

Here’s a deeper look at how construction projects planned on I-70 will impact summer travel.

Floyd Hill

The I-70 Floyd Hill project is entering an “important, new phase of construction” as crews work to realign westbound I-70 from its current location to the hillside south of Clear Creek, according to the transportation department.

Located between Evergreen and Idaho Springs, the nearly 8-mile project began in 2023, with work expected to last through the end of 2029. The roughly $900 million project aims to widen the canyon, build new interstate bridges with gentler, safer curves and remove an existing bottleneck on westbound I-70 at the top of Floyd Hill.

Construction of a cast-in-place segmental bridge, which will carry the new westbound I-70 alignment, kicked off this spring and will continue through mid-2027, according to CDOT.

Crews on movable platforms will reportedly build the bridge above live traffic until the full span of the bridge connects.

Throughout the summer, drivers can expect temporary I-70 lane and ramp closures, traffic holds for rock blasting, new traffic patterns, narrowed lanes and shoulders and reduced speeds, Dineen said. Flaggers and alternating traffic will also be required this summer on U.S. Highway 40 near Floyd Hill.

The 20-minute holds for rock blasting are planned to occur Mondays through Thursdays from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and between 9 a.m. and noon and Fridays, according to the transportation department.

Drivers can sign up for text alerts about the Floyd Hill Project by texting “floydhill” to 21000 or visit CODOT.gov/projects/i70floydhill for more information.

West Vail Pass

Now in its sixth — and final — year of planned construction, the West Vail Pass Project aims to bring a number of safety improvements to a roughly 10-mile stretch of I-70 with steep grades and tight curves.

This year, crews are planning to complete work on six wildlife crossings, an avalanche and rockfall mitigation system for the area known as The Narrows and resurfacing of westbound I-70. The work will also include landscaping and final improvements to the recreation path between the new bridges.

Beginning Monday, April 20, there is a possibility of daily single-lane closures along eastbound and westbound I-70 from Mile Post 180 to 190, according to the transportation department.

Starting in May, crews will shift I-70 traffic into a head-to-head, barrier-separated alignment in the new eastbound lanes to allow for roadway and wildlife underpass construction.

From early to mid-June, rock scaling is expected to require traffic holds from Monday to Thursday from about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

From mid-June to early September, installation of the new avalanche and rockfall mitigation system will require occasional 20-minute traffic holds on I-70 in both directions. Only a few traffic hold days are anticipated.

Night work is possible anytime during the construction season, but is expected to become more consistent toward the end of the project.

The Vail Pass Recreation Path will remain open and accessible to riders and trail users through the season, with similar impacts to previous years. Intermittent trail holds for construction access may occur, and variable trail conditions could exist through construction areas. There 

are no anticipated extended recreational path holds scheduled this summer.

Drivers can sign up for text alerts about the Floyd Hill Project by texting “vailpass” to 21000 or visit CODOT.gov/projects/i70westvailauxiliarylanes/construction for more information.

Interchange construction at Exit 203 to Frisco

The Colorado Department of Transportation also plans to start construction on the I-70 Exit 203 Interchange Project in Frisco on Monday, April 20. This two-year project aims to reduce a dangerous backup that occurs on I-70 near Exit 203 as well as make other improvements for pedestrians and vehicles in the area.

Work will occur Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with occasional Sunday work as needed, according to the transportation department. No full closures are expected during the first season of construction, and during the day, two lanes of travel on I-70 will remain open. 

Nighttime lane shifts are planned on I-70 and Colorado Highway 9 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

For more information on the project, call the project information line at 970-817-8647 or visit CODOT.gov/projects/i70-exit203-interchange-frisco.

Other projects with travel impacts

The Colorado Department of Transportation also has a number of other projects on I-70 that will result in fewer travel impacts this summer.

After work began last summer, the transportation department plans to wrap up the I-70 Glenwood Canyon Bridge Joint Improvement Project this fall. The project includes replacing 23 bridge joints and conducting other bridge repairs through the canyon. During weekdays this summer, the project will require single lane closures in both directions.

Between Exit 205 to Silverthorne and the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, culvert repairs will require single-lane and shoulder closures in both directions.

From Exit 253 to Chief Hosa to Exit 262 to Morisson, drivers can expect a westbound lane shift with reduced shoulder and lane widths and single- and double-lane closures during the night, beginning in mid-July, according to CDOT.

7:50 p.m.: Interstate 70 eastbound reopened after an hours-long closure due to a multiple vehicle incident earlier Tuesday evening.

Colorado State Patrol stated in a news release that the most current estimates show around 70 vehicles were involved in the incident, and 19 people were assessed for injuries. Eleven of them declined transportation, and eight were transported to area hospitals. One person had serious bodily injuries.

Westbound I-70 was briefly closed at the tunnels for an unrelated incident, according to the release, that involved a pickup truck and trailer that jack-knifed.

6:30 p.m.: Photos released by Colorado State Patrol show dozens of vehicles in a pile-up crash on Interstate 70 between the exit for Loveland Pass and the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels.

Eastbound I-70 drivers are being rerouted over Loveland Pass via U.S. Highway 6. Officials have not released an updated beyond the estimate for reopening happening between 8-10 p.m.

4:45 p.m.: Eastbound Interstate 70 is estimated to be closed for the next four to six hours, but one westbound lane has reopened while the left-most lane remains closed for medical staging following a multi-vehicle crash that occurred at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, according to a Colorado State Patrol news release published at 4:48 p.m.

At least 19 people with various levels of injuries are being transported to a hospital, but no fatalities were reported. The Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office stated an estimated 75 vehicles were involved in the wreckage.

4:06 p.m.: On top of the full Interstate 70 closure near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, I-70 westbound is closed over Vail Pass for a crash.

4 p.m.: The Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office stated that the crash occurred on the on-ramp of eastbound Interstate 70, where traffic from U.S. Highway 6 merges into I-70. Deputies estimated more than 75 vehicles were involved, according to a social media post.

I-70 is still closed in both directions near mile marker 216 near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels and is expected to be closed for “an extended period of time,” according to Colorado State Patrol.

Alternate routes are advised, and this story will be updated as more information is released.

3:50 p.m.: Both directions of travel on Interstate 70 near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels are expected to be closed for “an extended period of time,” following a “large, multi-vehicle” crash, according to a Colorado State Patrol press release.

Alternative routes are advised.

3:20 p.m.: A multi-vehicle crash has closed eastbound Interstate 70 through Colorado’s mountains following a multi-vehicle crash, according to COtrip.org.

The crash comes following numerous closures on Interstate 70 and other highways during a snowstorm that has brought a few inches of accumulation to valleys and icy conditions on mountain passes. There are more chances for snow later this week.

Traction and chain laws are in effect. For more information, visit CODOT.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw.

For the latest weather alerts, visit Weather.gov/bou. For traffic alerts and road conditions, visit COtrip.org.

6 p.m.: I-70 is open in both directions over Vail Pass.

3 p.m.: Westbound lanes of Interstate 70 are closed at Copper Mountain due to a four-vehicle crash, according to CoTrip.org.

1 p.m.: Vail Pass has reopened.

11:40 a.m.: Eastbound I-70 is closed over Vail Pass due to safety concerns, according to an Eagle County Alert

9:25 a.m.: Westbound lanes of I-70 reopened.

Original story: Westbound lanes of Interstate 70 are closed near the Vail Pass summit due to a crash, according to an Eagle County Alert that sent around 8 a.m. Tuesday, April 14.

The closure begins at mile marker 190, according to CoTrip.org.

Road work has begun on Interstate 70 as the West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane Project enters its final season of planned construction, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The construction, which resumed Monday, April 20, will result in various traffic impacts through about September. The West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lane Project began in 2021 with the goal of improving safety and operations along a roughly 10-mile stretch.

“As we enter the final season of this critical project, our focus is on a safe and successful project completion,” CDOT Executive Director Shoshona Lew said in a statement. ” … Every element of this work will make Vail Pass more resilient, reduce crashes and closures and provide a more reliable and enjoyable trip for everyone traveling on the I-70 mountain corridor.”

This year, crews are planning to complete work on six wildlife crossings, an avalanche and rockfall mitigation system for the area known as The Narrows, and resurfacing of westbound I-70, the release states. The work will also include landscaping and final improvements to the recreation path between the new bridges.

The best way to stay up to date with the project is to sign up for text alerts by texting “vailpass” to 21000, according to the transportation department. There is also a project information line at 970-688-8233 and weekly project updates available at Subscription.COTrip.org

How construction could impact traffic flow

Beginning April 20, there is a possibility of daily single-lane closures along eastbound and westbound I-70 from Mile Post 180 to 190, according to the news release. 

Starting in May, crews will shift I-70 traffic into a head-to-head, barrier-separated alignment in the new eastbound lanes to allow for roadway and wildlife underpass construction.

From early to mid-June, rock scaling is expected to require traffic holds Mondays through Thursdays from about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

From mid-June to early September installation of the new avalanche and rockfall mitigation system will require occasional 20-minute traffic holds on I-70 in both directions. Only a few traffic hold days are anticipated.

Night work is possible anytime during the construction season, but is expected to become more consistent from the summer through the end of the project.

The Vail Pass Recreation Path will remain open and accessible to riders and trail users through the season, with similar impacts to previous years. Intermittent trail holds for construction access may occur, and variable trail conditions could exist through construction areas. There are no anticipated extended recreation path holds scheduled this summer.

To date, the transportation department has completed work on two new bridges, which are designed to last 100 years and offer improved curve geometry, a new 2.7 mile eastbound auxiliary lane designed to separate slow-moving commercial vehicles from passenger traffic and reconstruction of nearly two miles of the rec path It has also laid five miles of fiber-optic, dug new drainage to protect Gore Creek, expanded a U.S. Forest Service parking lot and resurfaced about six miles of roadway.

The Colorado State Patrol has charged the snowplow driver who was involved in a fatal crash with a van carrying a youth hockey team on Interstate 70 in Clear Creek County in January.

One person was killed and several were injured when the snowplow lost control and crashed through the median into oncoming traffic on Jan. 29, according to the State Patrol. Officials later identified 29-year-old Littleton resident Colton Wiedman, who was working for the Colorado Department of Transportation at the time, as the driver of the snowplow.

Wiedman has been charged with one count of careless driving causing death, four counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury and three counts of careless driving resulting in bodily injury, all Class 1 Traffic Misdemeanors. He also faces a single count of failure to drive in a designated lane, a Class A Traffic Infraction.

The State Patrol announced the charges in a news release on Thursday. The Colorado Department of Transportation said on Thursday that Wiedman was placed on administrative leave after the crash and his employment will be handled in accordance with the state’s personnel policies.

Neither the State Patrol nor the Colorado Department of Transportation immediately responded to questions sent by email Thursday regarding whether Wiedman is still employed by the state, the status of his driving privileges and additional details about the crash.

The crash occurred around 8:53 a.m. on Jan. 29 near I-70 Mile Point 218, a few miles east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, according to the State Patrol. Wiedman reportedly lost control while driving westbound, resulting in the plow breaking through the cable rail at the median and entering the eastbound lanes of travel.

The plow collided with a Toyota Tacoma and a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van carrying the girl’s hockey team from Santa Clarita, California. After the impact from the snowplow, the Tacoma also crossed the median, hitting a BWM.

The driver of the van, which was carrying 10 people, was declared dead at the scene, and at least seven passengers, including four children, were transported to be treated at a hospital, one by helicopter, according to the State Patrol.

The 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, according to the news release. 

Wiedman is scheduled to be arraigned in Clear Creek County Court on the charges on May 5.

Summit Daily’s Kyle McCabe contributed to this report.

As cars and trucks whizzed in and out of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on Interstate 70, firefighters in a nearby parking lot rushed to deploy a hose and spray an arc of water.

There was no fire, and this was just a training exercise, but there was a look of seriousness on the faces of the Colorado Department of Transportation employees involved in the fire brigade practice on Wednesday.

“We’re here to protect the tunnel asset,” CDOT Tunnel Superintendent Paul Fox said of the fire brigade. “We need that building in one piece. So, we’re here to keep people safe and protect CDOT’s assets.”

Unbeknownst to most Coloradans, the state transportation department has its own firefighting teams on I-70: One stationed at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels and one at the Hanging Lake Tunnel in Glenwood Canyon.

At the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, which crosses under the Continental Divide, the fire brigade has 22 members. CDOT Fire Program Manager Peter Igel noted that all of these firefighters also work in other jobs at tunnels, including in maintenance or as snowplow drivers, but will jump at a moment’s notice to respond to an emergency.

If a fire were to occur in the more than 1.5-mile-long tunnel, Igel said the transportation department’s fire brigade would be the first on scene with the goal of quickly extinguishing the blaze to prevent damage to the infrastructure. The brigade also has mutual aid agreements with Summit Fire & EMS and Clear Creek Fire Authority, and will respond if there are vehicle fires or wildfires along I-70 near the tunnels, he said.

“They’re protecting the infrastructure of the tunnel itself as well as the people moving through it,” Igel said. “So there’s a huge life-safety component, and that’s always No. 1 in our priorities, is to make sure everybody is safe.”

CDOT spokesperson Stacia Sellers described the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, which see an average of about 35,000 vehicles pass through each day, as critical infrastructure along I-70. The tunnels are not only the gateway from the Front Range to the mountains, but are also a pinchpoint along one of the main east-west routes for freight moving across the country, she said.

The Colorado Department of Transportation estimates that for every hour I-70 is closed, the state’s economy takes an almost $2 million hit, so a long-term closure of the tunnels due to a fire could have ripple effects.

“There’s huge impacts if there’s damage to the actual infrastructure,” Sellers said. “You’re talking potentially millions of dollars in repairs. We want to prevent that. Then, of course, if there is damage to the infrastructure you have to close down the interstate and that has economic impacts.”

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Fox noted that a fire occurring in the tunnels isn’t a hypothetical situation — it’s something that’s happened five times during his nine years overseeing the tunnels. Most recently, a van caught fire in the tunnel in July 2023. He also noted that the brigade also typically responds to about one to two fires a month started by vehicles experiencing mechanical failures around the operations center at the tunnel.

When a fire sparks in the tunnel, CDOT Office of Emergency Management Program Manager Jori Ernst said the interstate is “going to come to a screeching halt in a hurry.” Fire suppression units in the tunnels will quickly kick on and fans will activate to push smoke out, Ernst said. He estimated that it would take the fire brigade less than 10 minutes to be on scene, working to extinguish the blaze.

Ernst noted that the fire brigade trains monthly throughout the entire year to stay sharp on their skills. With widespread drought conditions and a historically low snowpack across Colorado, he said that the transportation department’s fire brigade is another team that will be ready to respond if a wildfire breaks out near the tunnels.

“With the limited snowpack this year, there is a high concern for wildfires,” Ernst said. “So, we’re going to have these trucks ready to go at all times to respond.”