COLORADO – Colorado’s Independence Pass, the near 32-mile long road connecting Leadville and Aspen, opened at noon local time today, concluding a collaborated avalanche mitigation effort between the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Independence Pass closes every winter, requiring a near two and a half reroute between Leadville and Aspen. When the pass is open, it takes just around 45 minutes to and hour and a half, depending on stops. The CDOT COtrip website has the opening day set at June 1, but a Facebook post from CAIC states that the road was scheduled for opening today at noon.
Throughout the closure, CAIC mitigation sets out to trigger slides along the road, while CDOT plows prepare the road for public use.
Colorado road conditions can and will change frequently. Make sure to always check COtrip for any traffic information throughout the state.
