Colorado's First High Elevation Road Closure Of The Season Starts Next Week

DENVER (CBS4) - CDOT has announced the top portion of the Mount Evans Highway will close for the season starting next Tuesday, Sept. 6. This segment of Colorado Highway 5 is the first of several seasonal road closures that will happen in the coming months.

Unlike many closures that occur only after harsh winter-like weather causes difficult driving conditions, the top of the Mount Evans Highway closes on a specific date specified in an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.

With the closure coming just after Labor Day, CDOT expects wait times to travel the Mount Evans Highway over the holiday weekend could be an hour or longer. Record crowds have been visiting Mount Evans all summer.

The lower portion of the highway including the 10 miles from Echo Lake to Summit Lake is scheduled to remain open until Monday, Oct. 7, unless snow causes an earlier closure.

Another popular road that will eventually close for the season is Trail Ride Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. While there is no specific date for closing, conditions usually cause it to be closed by late October. The latest closing was Dec. 2, 1933.

Meanwhile, Independence Pass between Aspen and Leadville on Highway 82 usually closes by early November.