#colorado #realestate #breckenridge
The Eisenhower Tunnel is a marvel of construction and of innovation.
The tunnel was cut under the Loveland Ski Area and through the Continental Divide and the Loveland Fault, an extremely difficult job at the time.
"There was a huge challenge in tunneling through the Loveland fault and the first contractor ended up defaulting and pulling out," said chief engineer Stephen Harelson.
Those challenges meant the work took longer and cost more than expected. Construction lasted five years and the first tunnel cost $117 million, which would be around one billion dollars in 2023.
In the summer and through the harsh Colorado winter, 365 days a year, the Eisenhower Tunnel keeps traffic moving and billions of dollars of commerce rolling with an average of 30,000 vehicles a day passing through.
