Crews are installing a new type of safety fencing along Interstate 70 on Vail Pass that is designed to protect drivers from both avalanches and falling rocks. The new system is the first of its kind in the state.
New Safety System Coming to Vail Pass
According to 9News, the combination passive avalanche mitigation and rockfall fence is being installed between Copper Mountain and Vail as part of a major I-70 construction project that has been underway for roughly a decade.
The fence is designed to handle both snow and rockfall, preventing debris from reaching the interstate. The system could reduce the need for highway closures associated with avalanche mitigation and cleanup operations.
Currently when snow or rocks reach I-70, crews are forced to spend hours clearing the roadway. The new fencing should reduce those incidents, helping to keep the highway open while lowering maintenance demands.
Final Construction Season Underway
Work this year has included completing new auxiliary lanes, wildlife fencing and wildlife underpasses, along with the installation of the advanced avalanche and rockfall mitigation systems. Drivers should be prepared for possible daily single-lane closures in both directions of I-70 between the East Vail Interchange at Mile Point 180 and the Vail Pass Rest Area at Mile Point 190.
The overall project is scheduled for substantial completion by December 2026. The 9News report said construction on Vail Pass is expected to conclude in early November, with the Colorado Department of Transportation planning a ribbon-cutting celebration around Thanksgiving.