CDOT Urges Drivers to Prepare for Heavy Thanksgiving Traffic and Winter Weather on Colorado Highways, Especially I-70

Description: CDOT warns of increased Thanksgiving travel and potential winter weather, especially on the I-70 Mountain Corridor. Drivers are urged to plan ahead, check COtrip.org, pack emergency kits, and follow winter driving safety tips as lane closures pause for the holiday.

CDOT urges safe, prepared travel ahead of Thanksgiving holiday and winter driving season

Statewide travel expected to surge, especially on I-70 Mountain Corridor

Statewide – The Colorado Department of Transportation is encouraging motorists to plan ahead and prepare for heavy traffic as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Drivers should anticipate additional traffic on the roadways over the next few days as people travel for Thanksgiving weekend and holiday shopping. While the forecast is still not certain for the weekend, motorists should be prepared for potential winter weather as they head home over the weekend. Weather can change in an instant at higher elevations, motorists are urged to be prepared.    

To minimize traffic impacts, daily lane closures on state construction and maintenance projects will be suspended by midday Wednesday, Nov. 26. The only exception is for emergency operations. All projects can resume work on Monday, Dec. 1.

Traffic volumes on the I-70 Mountain Corridor are expected to increase beginning Wednesday morning around 8 a.m., with the heaviest travel Friday through Sunday, beginning around 8 a.m. and continuing to 6 p.m.

For those wanting to travel and forget about traffic, CDOT’s Bustang, Snowstang and Pegasus offer reliable, comfortable alternatives to navigating heavy traffic and mountain congestion. These services provide direct connections to major Front Range cities, mountain resorts and key destinations along the I-70 Mountain Corridor, helping reduce delays, improve safety and ease parking pressures at popular holiday spots. Please go to www.ridebustang.com for more information. 

Traffic at the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels tends to be lower during Thanksgiving weekend than other fall and winter holiday weekends. Vehicle numbers in 2024: 

Tips for safe holiday and winter travel 

CDOT urges all travelers to: 

• Check road conditions at COtrip.org or via the COtrip Planner app. Travelers can also call 511. 

• Keep your gas tank full and ensure you have enough windshield wiper fluid.

• Pack an emergency kit (water, blankets, scraper, snacks, chargers, games or activities for bored backseat passengers)

• Slow down, increase following distance and stay alert

• Pull over and rest or switch drivers if you start to feel drowsy

• Never drive impaired or distracted

• Avoid passing plows on the right.

New – Your One-Stop Hub for I-70 Mountain Travel: codot.gov/i70mountain

In time for the winter ski season, CDOT has launched a brand-new online hub specifically for the I-70 Mountain Corridor, offering everything you need for smooth, safe travel. From shuttle options and real-time road conditions to live corridor cams and essential safety tips and laws, it’s all in one convenient place. This easy-to-use resource brings together the best tools from COtrip.org and the COtrip Planner app into a single, centralized hub. Remember: the road is different here, and your travel plans should be too. The I-70 Mountain Corridor is a mountain road — motorists need to be mountain ready.

The CDOT Safety Patrol will be assisting motorists in need during Thanksgiving weekend. Coverage areas include major highways in Denver and I-25 in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Off-Peak hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Drivers are reminded to slow down and move over, if possible, when approaching the Safety Patrol or other first responders on the roadside. More information on the Safety Patrol, which is sponsored by GEICO, can be found at SafetyPatrolinfo.com and the CDOT website.  

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