Work will begin Sunday to remove and replace all cameras, message boards, lane-use signs and fiber in the Interstate 70 Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel, a project that is expected to take until summer of 2024.
The direction of overnight traffic will have to be alternated Sundays through Thursdays, with full closure of one bore of the tunnel at a time. Work will begin at 10 p.m. and last until 5 a.m.
When one tunnel bore is closed, traffic along Interstate 70 in both directions will be stopped at the tunnel entrance. Traffic in one direction at a time will be escorted through the open bore.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said traffic stops are expected to last for 20 minutes. Delays are expected to be minimal because the work will be done overnight.
The project by CDOT and contractor Sturgeon Electric will upgrade the cameras and signs in the tunnel that CDOT’s traffic operations center uses to monitor the safety and health of travelers driving through the Eisenhower Tunnel. The equipment is used 24/7 to monitor the tunnel and to alert the traveling public of any delays.
Closures of the bores are necessary because the cameras and signs cannot be removed and replaced while traffic is driving under them. The work is being coordinated with other upgrades of the infrastructure at the Eisenhower Tunnel.
Work will start on westbound I-70 in the Eisenhower bore. No overnight full-bore closures will occur on Friday or Saturday nights or on holidays.
For more information about the project, people can contact the project team: codot.gov/projects/ejmt-infrastructure-repairs; information hotline: 970-704-8066; project email: ejmtunnelprojects@gmail.com.
