The future of Colorado's Eisenhower Tunnel

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Happy 50th Birthday!

[@andywomack3414]

My suggestion, work on upgrading the current rail line through the Moffat Tunnel and use that to connect Winter Park and Steamboat Springs to the Front Range with fast, not necessarily high-speed, trains.

[@estelja]

The only problem with that suggestion is that those rails are owned by BNSF and the freight trains get priority, so there is a lot of stopping to let them go by. Ask anyone who's taken Amtrak from Denver to California. There have been plans in the past to create a car tunnel under Berthoud Pass.

[@andywomack3414]

@@estelja Yep, railway ownership is a problem. Maybe an electrified multiple track line, or an electrified dedicated passenger line located within the footprint of the current interstate. The current rail has some curvature issues limiting speed as well. Ultimately another high-capacity transportation route through the Front Range lies somewhere in Colorado's future I think. A Berthoud Pass tunnel ain't part of that. A Rollins Pass tunnel might be.

[@stevenroth5424]

They could build some more accomadating sleeping areas for the workers. They spent more on board rooms / meeting rooms necessary. That must be one fancy maintenance facility for that price tag....

[@earlwheelock7844]

Somthing to mention ---------- the west end is the highest point on the entire interstate system(12000 ft.)

[@larryehrlich57]

I was 18 when they finished the tunnel. It saved a ton of driving time and increased safety, especially for the 18 wheel truckers not needing to go over the.mountain pass. Back then the gravel trucks had blue lights...this was before law enforcement got the blue lights. Blue Sky's.

[@noslackoutdoors1212]

As a trucker I dislike that tunnel. One end can be sunny like Vegas and the other side can look like Alaska

[@richardrose2606]

There's a simple solution - just drive over Loveland pass. I lived in Colorado before the tunnels were opened and drove over it several times with my family. It's lots of fun!

[@SofaaKing2]

um..that has NOTHING to do with the tunnell itself lol

[@dukx3986]

Please let it be sunny. Please let it be sunny. Please let it be sunny. Nooooo!!!!

[@JohnGriffiths-nh8no]

I had a friend was a carpenter on the tunnel job, he worked on the east side, got fired, went over the pass and signed on the west side works. After the breakthrough his east side foreman saw him and fired him again.

[@andywomack3414]

That sounds like an interesting story. I bet many have the same story about friends who got fired twice at that project.

[@fredharvey2720]

LOL

[@justinsane7128]

I'm sure they'd love to make that a toll too.

[@andywomack3414]

If current trends continue with the incorporated privatization of everything tolls on all interstate highways are in our future.

[@chadachwilliam5515]

The toll roads are mostly from developments in the middle of nowhere that multiple lane roads were built to get residents home quickly. Someone decided they could pay for their space station by charging everyone else to use those roads as well. Even though they probably got tax money to develop those areas.

[@lotusalivelight24]

Tunnel was great for the traffic of June, 1973... Awesomely beautiful, in fact... By 2005, & ever after, rather scary-roads, with tons more faster, bigger, traffic.😢

[@crossroads5771]

skied A basin, went over Loveland pass every weekend back in the late sixties

[@andywomack3414]

Used to love using that route instead of that bored ride under the divide. I'd be blasting Phil Collins-Genesis "Abacab" while stopped between the snow-banks near the top while waiting for the zero-visibility wind-gust to pass. I miss my youth. May the long moguls on Pali never be chopped to bits by snowboards and short skis.

[@ericp3246]

I’m very happy for the workers at the tunnel but how is this going to improve anything for drivers who get stuck waiting hours at those metering lights?

[@TheBandit7613]

I-70 is so ridiculous. Virtually untouched for 50 years. Some concrete worn to the rebar. Even the section thru Glenwood Canyon is getting worn. Colorado does NOT like road improvements.

[@DerianPalma]

​@@TheBandit7613 this accurate took 6 years to finish I-70 reconstruction and the traffic is still the same our infrastructure construction is slow by the next decade it's already fucked again.

[@Richardsmith5280]

Taxes are collected to pay salaries and for a better work atmosphere. The only lanes added are tolled. Just a small percentage will use them. Toll lanes help generate revenue but do nothing to ease congestion. At what point do quality high paying employers opt out of Colorado because of the lack of infrastructure? The highest seat at cdot uses a chauffeur because she doesn't like traffic.

[@johngalt7296]

@@Richardsmith5280 “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others” 🤷‍♂️

[@notreallyme425]

The workers in their nice office will be able to see you stuck waiting in HDTV. Isn’t that better?

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

Great! I've seen & appreciated on I-80's Donner Pass a CalTrans facility in between EB/WB lanes having snow eqpt inside shops. Roll up the doors and begin plowing. Employees stay in rooms there or nearby during storm events.

[@snigs5T5]

Now if only the drivers that use the tunnel could be fixed...

[@dcjenner]

Makes a lot of sense, add administration, that’ll improve tunnel throughput.

[@noahgentry690]

I was there the day he was recording

[@TheBandit7613]

I-70 is so ridiculous. Virtually untouched for 50 years. Some concrete worn to the rebar. Even the section thru Glenwood Canyon is getting worn. Colorado does NOT like road improvements.

[@MeoMiyo]

Tunnel will collapse soon.

[@ryanhall8770]

Very expensive to maintain, extreme weather and heavy traffic wear down the road pretty quickly. They paved near the Eisenhower Tunnel in the past year but that's about all they can do with the money they have

[@Timbrock1000]

A THIRD TUNNEL? Ok, just as long as it's not named the "Polis tunnel"! (The Governor already has bored too many tunnels if you know what I mean!)

[@andywomack3414]

How about an Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos tunnel, or have a corporate logo carved into the mountainside? Or a return to the marginal tax rates that made the construction of the interstate highway system possible?

[@MrTrooper82]

That drop off on the west side though.....

[@MeoMiyo]

So it looks like 150 million for a new sleeping quarters and offices forget the lanes.

[@mariocastillocastillo4092]

Deberían anexar una salida antes de este puente en caso de accidentes ya que sería una tragedia esperar horas allí.

[@joechiodi5529]

I made the mistake of driving through this tunnel, for the first time, this past Saturday evening. 5 hours in traffic. I was in a semi truck. Complete disaster of keeping people trapped like that. Thousands of people.

[@duuurs]

$150 million for a 10-bay maintenance shed and some updated office space? 🤣🤣 Congrats Colorado, you've played yourself.

[@TheBandit7613]

Showers, you forgot about the showers.

[@duuurs]

@ChrisNVegas DAMN, forgot those $45 million dollar showers 🤣🤣🤣

[@Richardsmith5280]

It's not their money.

[@duuurs]

@@Richardsmith5280 oh really? Government spending DOESN'T come out of taxpayer pockets? Please explain

[@Richardsmith5280]

@@duuurs sarcasm DC. 🤔

[@theredacted3805]

I live in georgetown and about once a month at least, sometimes weekly. (or anytime it snows literally an inch or foot doesnt matter) traffic will back all the way up to georgetown. ive seen 8+ hour traffic jams, actually just last month traffic stopped around noon, didnt start until midnight. Do not count on this tunnel just being open. just a heads up

[@andywomack3414]

If you drive a car you are that traffic.

[@WangHamgLow4U]

@@andywomack3414 I’ve seen ent of 4x4 vehicles doing the same thing causing traffic, I’ve driven that tunnel everyday for 3 years delivery for Amazon from aurora to parachute. And believe me I’ve seen it all

[@WangHamgLow4U]

It’s a waste of money if you ask me traffic will never get better idc if they put twenty lanes in

[@andywomack3414]

@@WangHamgLow4U I've driven commercial, mostly over Berthoud Pass. I dreaded driving down the the west side of the tunnel, especially when snow-packed or icy. I felt much safer over Berthoud in a blizzard than that downgrade west of the tunnel in even mildly inclement conditions. If I could afford the time I'd do Loveland. That pass is a scarier beast than Berhoud though.

[@andywomack3414]

@@WangHamgLow4U I am sure that some great minds at C-Dot contemplate the complete paving over of Idaho Springs and Georgetown.

[@andywomack3414]

Forget trying to expand capacity on I-70. What Colorado needs is another main highway through the Front Range. Unfortunately every alternate route has many environmental and social impacts that do not improve our quality of life. The issue is systemic and rooted in the contradictions inherent with our love for highways and the freedom of private automobile travel. All those complaining about traffic? You are the traffic.

[@Bill-sp8kb]

I just fire up the Jet Ranger and fly over the traffic jams. Problem solved. 🚁

[@andywomack3414]

@@Bill-sp8kb Be rich and fly over the chaos you've created on the ground below.

[@Bill-sp8kb]

@@andywomack3414 Much rich pilot privilege. Too bad for U.🚁

[@carsonpriest5630]

Vail Resorts Tunnel ;)

[@Richardsmith5280]

When I saw the thumbnail "The Future of the Eisenhower tunnel," I expected to see CDOT changing one lane in each direction to bicycle lanes.

[@MeoMiyo]

Lmao

[@bukboefidun9096]

Lol

[@bukboefidun9096]

I expected governor Penus was putting windmills and solar panels inside the tunnel.

[@ynot0714]

Good one haha, yea just like everywhere else! Share the Road!

[@andywomack3414]

@@bukboefidun9096 What has he done to you?

[@philbob99]

Maybe Zelenskyy can loan CO a few billion for repairs.

[@matt39581]

train

[@shieldoftruth-maganshalahm3520]

😳🤔🧐🚗🏎🛻🚌🚑🚓🚚🚛🚜🏍🛵🚲🛴🛸🚦🚥🛞🛸🤟🏾🤟🏾

[@mh-bd9re]

cant repair the roads and traffic but they'll blow a bunch of money so some guy can say he's been there 16 years? if he's in charge iam afraid.

[@johngalt7296]

None of this has anything to do with traffic through the tunnel. Not one thing. Money well spent CDOT🙄

[@Richardsmith5280]

Colorado/cdot collects revenue for salaries and work environment improvements, not for infrastructure.

[@johngalt7296]

@@Richardsmith5280 Exactly

[@jeffsnider3588]

More concerning for me is the 50 plus year old GE Mark I nuclear reactors across the US which will be operated until catastrophic failure. This is the same reactor which melted down at Fukushima and has been described as a poor design.....many years ago.

[@MarkMclaughlin-qm8kq]

My dad helped build that tunnel he lost his nuts in accident in that tunnel. There is a witch that haunts that tunnel she always strikes at night many truckers have lost a ball or two there.

[@PrestigeWorldWidePWW]

WASTE

[@troutguyCO]

New control room, meh? Does that have any positive impact on I-70 and on a driver's experience? No. Pretty pathetic roads and public transportation here in CO; where are the brains to improve traffic flow, roads & highways?

[@JoeLinux2000]

200 billion wasted on Ukraine. The money would be much better used for a 3rd bore.

[@kybalion848]

But then how could they launder our tax money to the military industrial complex? If only people cared about things that mattered and the corruption of their government.

[@JohnJohnson-dw8qp]

Hate tunnels

[@SofaaKing2]

if the powers that be have their way, only they will have the priveledge of driving ... isnt that right fake news