Travel Tips



TIPS FOR I-70 MOUNTAIN TRAVEL
  • Avoid the Peak Travel Times. If heading eastbound on Saturday or Sunday, plan to leave the mountains after 7:00 p.m. Check the weekend and holiday Travel Forecast.
  • Check the road and traffic conditions before you travel.
  • Check out the Peak Time Deals local businesses offer to help you avoid peak travel times.
  • Spend a Sunday night in the mountains and head to work or school early Monday morning.
  • Prepare for I-70 mountain driving conditions.
  • Create or join a carpool, Winter Park has partnered with TreadShare Carpooling app to make carpooling here fun and easy, all while saving money and staying environmentally conscience. Plus, receive a free Phunkshun Wear mask and a chance to win a Winter Park Resort 23/24 season pass.
  • Consider taking a bus or van to the mountains and leave the driving to someone else.
  • Check current road conditions at: http://www.cotrip.org/home.htm

WINTER TRAFFIC PATTERNS
(October through April)
I-70 is congestion-free the majority of the time, and with just a bit of planning travelers can enjoy More Mountains. Less Traffic. Below is the typical winter weekend traffic pattern.

Friday Westbound - Light to moderate traffic is likely from about 4:00-9:00 p.m.

Saturday Westbound - Traffic can be expected from about 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with the peak traffic occurring around 8:00 a.m.

Sunday Westbound - Sunday morning west bound traffic is consistently lighter than Saturday morning, and sometimes non-existent. To play it safe, avoid the 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. time frame.

Saturday Eastbound - Traffic typically builds around 2:00 p.m., peaks around 4:00-5:00 and drops dramatically after 7:00 p.m. Expect congestion.

Sunday Eastbound - I-70 starts to fill up earlier than it does on Saturday, as early as 1:00 p.m. Traffic peaks around 4:00-5:00 and drops off soon after 7:00 pm. Expect heavy traffic.

This Travel Forecast is based on historical traffic data. Please note that weather, road conditions and accidents are impossible to predict and can have significant impacts on I-70 travel.

Holiday Weekends – when a national holiday falls on a Monday, you can count on Monday afternoon eastbound traffic to mimic a typical Sunday pattern, but with potentially more volume. On the flip side, the Sunday of holiday weekends tends to have minimal congestion, making it an ideal day to travel.

Other factors: Metering - Traffic metering goes into effect during very high volume times and can occur at multiple I-70 eastbound on-ramps and/or on the Eisenhower Johnson Tunnel eastbound approach.Metering controls the flow of traffic eastbound towards the Eisenhower Tunnel so traffic does not back up in the tunnel, causing potential safety issues.