Colorado Department of Transportation plans to deter Johnson Tunnel frost heave bumps with heat trace system
If you've been through the Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels eastbound anytime recently, you'll know what we're talking about.
Signs leading up to the Johnson tunnel warn drivers of a "bump" ahead, and to check their speed. Tamara Rollison, Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman, explained those bumps have a name.
"What we are experiencing is a frost heave," Rollinson said. "This can happen during the freeze-thaw cycle."
Basically, since we had so much snow this year (in comparison to last at least) when the snow is finally melting, it's draining down through the tunnel drainage system. But since the drainage system is so old, the water in there can freeze and build on itself and expand. That expansion is what's pushing the road up into bump formation, like every teen's worst nightmare before prom.
"What we're doing now is we're drilling holes into the pavement to relieve that pressure," Rollinson said. "So the bump can go down a little bit. We may have to completely cut it out and make a repair to that... depending on if it won't go down on its own."
Thankfully the bump seems to be on the mend on its own, thanks to the eight holes drilled by CDOT. But since this is theoretically something that could happen every spring, it's something CDOT wants to cut out for good. That's why, included in their $50 million budgeted plans for this year on upgrades to the tunnels, they will be adding a better drainage system.
"It's called a heat trace system," Rollinson said. "It's a system of wires that help warm the pipes to prevent this kind of thing from happening. So we do have a long-term solution for this."
In the meantime, just take it a bit slower if you're leaving Summit County along Interstate 70, or your car will launch. We do not recommend catching air from the tunnel bump.
