CDOT Making Emergency Repair To Eisenhower Tunnel Roadway

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Work crews shut down one lane of eastbound Interstate 70 through the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel on Friday to begin urgent repairs to a section of water-damaged roadway.

"The heavier snow this winter season led to more runoff than usual," the Colorado Department of Transportation stated in a press release, "resulting in groundwater drainage problems in the south tunnel which was constructed in 1979."

This lane of eastbound traffic will be closed until the repairs are completed, but another lane will be available to traffic. Delays Friday were minimal due to light traffic volume, CDOT reported.

Upon completion of this repair next month, CDOT will commence repaving all lanes of the 1.7-mile long tunnel, a project expected to last until fall. Closures of tunnel traffic are expected in the project's latter stages but will occur during overnight work. The "full bore closures" affect one direction at a time, with both directions of travel occupying one bore while the other side is barricaded.

Single-lane closures will happen at all times of day through the summer months.

The Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel is the highest vehicular tunnel in the world, according to CDOT. It cuts under the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. The bore on the north side which now houses the westbound lanes was started in 1968 and finished five years later. It was named the Eisenhower Memorial Bore. The Edwin C. Johnson cut to the south was completed 1975-79.