The long-running rebuild of I‑70 over Vail Pass is finally in the home stretch, with the Colorado Department of Transportation saying the project is heading into its last major construction season and eyeing completion in 2026. Crews have already widened lanes, rebuilt aging bridges and laid fresh pavement along key stretches of the corridor. The remaining work focuses on avalanche and rockfall protections, six new wildlife underpasses and a slate of safety upgrades. Drivers, though, should still brace for periodic delays and traffic holds this spring and summer as crews wrap up the job, a tradeoff local leaders say is aimed at reducing closures and making the steep climb safer for both truckers and everyday travelers.
CDOT's March update
According to a Facebook post by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the I‑70 West Vail Pass Auxiliary Lanes Project is now gearing up for its final construction season and is still on track to finish in 2026. CDOT lists remaining work that includes avalanche and rockfall mitigation, six wildlife underpasses and more pavement to smooth out grades near the summit. The agency is also nudging travelers to sign up for project alerts and to be ready for intermittent traffic holds while crews complete the corridor.
What's left to build
Crews are slated to finish six wildlife underpasses (two sized for larger animals and four for small to medium wildlife) between roughly Mile Posts 187 and 190, according to Vail Daily. Those crossings will be paired with wildlife fencing, and the project also includes avalanche and rockfall protections in the Narrows near MP 186, as detailed by the Aspen Times. Planners say the package of improvements is designed to cut down how long the pass has to be closed and to make emergency responses faster when something does go wrong.
Progress already completed
Officials say the westbound bridge opened in 2023 and a new eastbound bridge plus a third eastbound lane were completed in 2025, according to a recent transportation‑commission update reported by Citizen Portal. The project timeline and remaining work are laid out on CDOT's project page, which shows activity continuing through December 2026. Briefings also note that CDOT installed an early-warning closure system and resurfaced stretches of I‑70 in 2025 to improve driving conditions heading into the final construction season.
What drivers should expect
Drivers can expect single-lane closures, overnight work and short traffic holds throughout the spring and summer construction window, with planners saying they will try to keep the most disruptive work focused in daylight hours when possible. The Denver Gazette notes that motorists can sign up for project text alerts by texting “vailpass” to 21000, get weekly updates and call the project hotline at (970) 688‑8233 for real-time information. Anyone heading over the pass on weekends or during holiday travel weeks is urged to build in extra time and check alerts before hitting the road.
For the latest closures, pavement conditions and signup details, see local coverage from Vail Daily along with the project's online updates. If all goes to plan, this final push should leave one of Colorado's trickiest stretches of interstate a bit calmer and more reliable for both summer and winter traffic once crews clear out next year.
