We watch I-70 so you do not have to
Live I-70 cameras at the Eisenhower Tunnel
We monitor Eisenhower Tunnel traffic so you do not have to. These cameras refresh automatically every 45 seconds, straight from CDOT, so you can see the corridor before you travel.
Updated just now · refreshes every 45 seconds · images courtesy of CDOT (COtrip). Conditions change fast in the high country.
Located approximately 11,158 feet above sea level, the Eisenhower and Johnson Tunnels are the highest point on the U.S. Interstate Highway System.
A gateway through the Rockies
The Eisenhower Tunnel, officially named the Eisenhower-Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel, is a significant transportation route in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It is located approximately 60 miles west of Denver and is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world, with an elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level. It is not the highest in the world, as higher tunnels have been built elsewhere, such as the Fenghuoshan Tunnel in China.
Denver to Summit County and beyond
The tunnel is part of Interstate 70 and connects Denver to Summit County and beyond. The idea for a tunnel under Loveland Pass emerged in the 1950s, and construction started in 1968. Initially named the Straight Creek Tunnel during construction, it was renamed to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Edwin C. Johnson, a former governor and U.S. Senator from Colorado. The westbound bore, named after Eisenhower, opened in 1973, and the eastbound bore, named after Johnson, was completed in 1979.
Engineering a feat at high elevation
Built through solid granite using the drill and blast method, the tunnel is 1.7 miles long and features two lanes in each direction, plus a ventilation system for air quality. Construction faced numerous challenges, such as the high elevation and unexpected fault lines, which delayed the project and increased costs. The Eisenhower Tunnel remains a crucial link for both recreational and commercial travel in the region.
The white knuckle drive west of the tunnel
Traveling westbound from the Eisenhower Tunnel, you hit some seriously steep grades. There is a stretch of seven miles straight downhill at a seven percent grade. Expect stop and go traffic and trucks crawling in the right lane, and you may catch the smell of burning brakes from a couple of miles away. It is exactly the kind of descent where you want an experienced driver, not your own white knuckles on the wheel.
Onboard through the Eisenhower Tunnel and down the westbound grade.
Where this road takes you
Just beyond the tunnel lie Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, Keystone, Copper Mountain, and Vail. The climb to the Continental Divide can be demanding in winter, with snow, ice, and chain laws. Skip the stress and let a Gold Rush chauffeur handle the drive.