It’s been nearly 30 years since Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon was completed. The world has changed a lot since then, and some locals think it’s time our transportation system changes, too.
The latest canyon closure which began July 29, closed the highway between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs for more than two weeks. During that closure, commercial vehicles drove countless thousands of miles out of their way, snarling traffic on state and federal highways never meant to handle interstate levels of traffic.
Any number of private vehicles and a number of commercial vehicles got lost or stranded seeking detours.
Eagle County Manager Jeff Shroll grew up in Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction. He clearly remembers the massive construction project that created I-70 in Glenwood Canyon.
The interstate is a “lifeline” for interstate commerce, Shroll said. The difficulty, particularly compared to Interstate 80 through Wyoming or Interstate 40 through New Mexico, is that Colorado has “the worst weather and the worst (mountain) passes,” Shroll said.
The Glenwood Canyon stretch of I-70 will be 30 years old in 2022.
“We got a great 30 years out of it,” Shroll said.
But today is a different story. Shroll noted he’s been told by U.S. Forest Service officials that what’s fallen to the canyon floor from the Grizzly Creek fire burn scar is “a fraction” of what might eventually fall.
“That really does change some things,” Shroll said.
Shipping more cargo by rail may be part of the answer, Shroll added, but businesses in the Eagle River and Roaring Fork valleys still require their deliveries. Shroll pointed out that the Cottonwood Pass road, under the best-case scenario, is unlikely to be a suitable canyon detour. Even that will cost millions, he noted.
Frequent canyon closures also create a ripple effect for people, from jobs, to housing to child care, Shroll said.
“Ultimately, it’s a reminder that we’re not in charge,” Shroll said.
