Counties Discuss Plans To Use Cottonwood Pass As I-70 Alternative During Closures

(CBS4) -- Commissioners from Eagle and Garfield counties met Tuesday to discuss the possibility of offering Cottonwood Pass as a bypass of Glenwood Canyon during extended closures of Interstate 70.

The 26-mile dirt road between Gypsum and Glenwood Springs would be an alternative to the interstate which was closed due to mudslides several times last month, and which remains closed since the last major slide on July 30.

That option does not come without costs. Improvements to the road have been planned for some time but given low priority. It's part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's 2040 statewide transportation plan, meaning it was to be considered for completion sometime during the next 10 to 25 years.

But given the scarcity of east-west travel through Colorado's central mountains, viable options are of value.

"It is a typical backcountry mountain road," Eagle County stated in a press release Tuesday, "used primarily by residents and locals and cresting at approximately 8,000 feet in elevation. It is seasonally open from April to November. The Eagle County side in particular is rugged, with numerous steep and winding sections that are not designed for high volumes of traffic and which is dangerous to drivers not accustomed to the terrain. Throughout the years there have been discussions to improve the road, but due to its extreme features and the high cost of improvements, major infrastructural upgrades have not been pursued."

The federal government approved an "emergency release" of $11.6 million for repair to the Glenwood Canyon section of I-70. It was granted one day after Colorado's governor requested it. It was 10 percent of the total approved.

Officials from Eagle County told CBS4 that a portion of that federal money could be steered their way to improve sight lines and make other improvements in six specific areas toward the goal of hosting higher traffic volume and higher speeds.

Vehicles over 45 feet in length, however, would not be permitted on the roadway.

"CDOT's statement that it will be days, not weeks, until I-70 could be reopened is amazing to hear," Eagle County Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney stated. "Clearly, reopening the highway would provide the most immediate relief to this situation. We also understand that during this meeting the announcement was made that federal funds have been released to address the closure. Eagle County has already created a proposal to put those funds to use for immediate improvements."

Currently, Colorado National Guard is restricting traffic on Cottonwood Pass.