Eisenhower Tunnel marks 50 years with celebration

There ws a big celebration at the Eisenhower Tunnel on Wednesday to celebrate a major milestone. The highest point of the interstate system in the U.S. turned 50. 

Representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Patrol joined the tunnel crew to share the tunnel's history and significance to transportation, and sing a jolly rendition of "Happy Birthday" to the tunnel!

Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard shared a memory of riding through the tunnel as a child. 

"I think back to the time with my dad as a child, coming through on I-70, the whole trip talking about how we're going to go through this tunnel and what a neat experience it was going to be, and I remember trying to hold my breath, going through this tunnel... at this altitude. Suffice to say, it didn't work! But I got to keep my eyes open and see it is truly, truly remarkable," said Packard. 

The tunnel has an average elevation of 11,112 feet. More than 34 million vehicles have traveled through the tunnel which spans nearly 2 miles long.

The Eisenhower Tunnel, which is westbound, opened on March 8, 1973. The tunnel supported both directions of traffic for years until the Johnson Tunnel opened to eastbound traffic in 1979.