Trouble Spots on I-70:
Eastbound I-70
Georgetown “Hill”
As you climb out of Georgetown to Silverplume, despite only being 2.5 miles long, this piece of road is where the mountains really start!
- Rock Fall
- Trucker chain-up delays in the winter.
Eisenhower Tunnel Approach
At over 11,000ft above sea level, this is the highest vehicle tunnel in the world! The approach is hard on cars and their transmissions
- Overheating
- Transmission Failure
Eisenhower Tunnel to Silverthorne
This steep 10 mile descent into Silverthorne, CO is famous for being slippery in the mornings before the sun defrosts it during the winter.
- Frequent winter accidents due to snow and ice
- Brakes overheating on the long descent
Frisco to Copper Mountain Officers Gulch
This 10-mile bit of road is the culprit of numerous vehicle accidents. In the winter this gulch prohibits long exposures of sun. The lack of sun and high gusting wind causes icy road conditions with poor visibility.
- Low Visibility
- We pull lots of cars out of snow after they slide off of I-70 here!
Copper Mountain to the Vail Pass Summit
This section of road is a little more docile, and the climb isn’t too steep, we respond to less accidents and road side assistance here then on the other side of Vail Pass…
Vail Pass to Vail
This section of Vail pass is notorious for frequent accidents, with grades around 6%, it is easy to lose control of your car in the snow and not be able to get it back!
The “Narrows” is the most popular place to crash your car in the winter!
Truckers, watch your brakes!
Westbound I-70:
Vail to the Summit of Vail Pass
This section of Vail pass is notorious for frequent accidents, with grades around 6%, it is tough on cars and trucks. Being the first major pass from the West, the truck chain-up area is a common delay during snow storms in the winter.
- Overheating and transmission problems
- Chain-up area when leaving Vail
Vail Pass Summit to Copper Mountain
Be careful about going to fast in the winter on this stretch of road, it is deceivingly open and that makes it easy to gain more speed then you can handle in the snow!
Copper Mountain to Frisco Officers Gulch
This 10-mile bit of road is responsible for numerous vehicle accidents of both cars and trucks. In the winter the stretch of road through Officers Gulch doesn’t get long exposures of sun. The lack of sun and high gusting wind causes prolonged icy road conditions with poor visibility.
- Low Visibility
- We pull lots of cars out of snow after they slide off of I-70 here!
Frisco to Silverthorne (The Silverthorne Hill)
Once out of the gulch visitors get a breath taking view of Lake Dillon Reservoir then they begin the short but extremely slick decent down Silverthorne hill into Silverthorne Colorado. This is a short one-mile north-facing hill that does not get much sun and therefore tends to ice up and cause a lot of winch outs and accidents.
Silverthorne to the Eisenhower Tunnel
The steep 10-mile climb to the Eisenhower Tunnel is a test of your car’s performance at high altitude on a sustained climb. We pick up lots of people here who have broken down and need to be towed to a mechanic!
Eisenhower Tunnel to Georgetown
The descent back to Georgetown is a good place to keep your eyes open! Frequent stops of traffic are common, and the final stretch down Georgetown Hill is treacherously steep and slippery during snow storms!
Common Issues on the Road:
- Stopped traffic
- Accidents on Georgetown Hill
- Overheating radiators and transmissions
- Flat Tires
- Snow on Road
