I-70 Colorado Road Conditions

I-70 crosses 450 miles of Colorado, between the Kansas line and the Utah line. That is 21% of I-70's 2,150 miles.

Inside Colorado it meets I-70 Ski Corridor at Vail, and I-76 West and I-25 at Denver.

By mile marker, I-70 passes Grand Junction 32 · Vail 177 · Denver 275.

It carries Vail Pass at 10,662 ft, Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 ft, where the weather at the summit is not the weather on the approach.

1 current report along the route. Always check with the responsible state DOT before setting off.

• Lanes blocked

  Between Exit 256: Lookout Mountain and Exit 259: Morrison Road (near Genesee) at Mile Point 257. Truck ramp occupied…

  Between Exit 256: Lookout Mountain and Exit 259: Morrison Road (near Genesee) at Mile Point 257. Truck ramp occupied. Slower speeds are advised.

  east • CO • Ongoing

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, from 3 weather stations in Colorado. A dash is a figure that station does not report, not a zero.

Every figure above is a town or a city. The summits are a different climate: Eisenhower Tunnel, Vail Pass each has its own page with the readings at the top and a six-day summit forecast.

Towns Along I-70 in Colorado

From Fruita to Burlington, with the position of each town measured along this stretch itself — counted from the Fruita end, not from a state milepost, so it will not match the numbers on the signs.

1. 20 mi Fruita
2. 30 mi Grand Junction 1.7 mi off the road
3. 74 mi Parachute
4. 116 mi Glenwood Springs
5. 167 mi Avon
6. 178 mi Vail
7. 207 mi Dillon
8. 261 mi Golden 2.0 mi off the road
9. 268 mi Wheat Ridge
10. 280 mi Denver 1.1 mi off the road
11. 305 mi Bennett
12. 438 mi Burlington

Places from the US Census Gazetteer and population estimates, both public domain; distances measured along this page's own route geometry.

Colorado Traction Law & Chain Law

Colorado is one of the few states where winter tire rules are law, not advice. CDOT sets a Traction Law on the I-70 Mountain Corridor for the whole winter season and can activate one anywhere else in the state when a storm moves in, and drivers who ignore it are fined — more if they end up blocking a lane.

Traction Law

A Traction Law is in force on the I-70 Mountain Corridor between Dotsero and Morrison every year from September 1 through May 31, regardless of the forecast on the day. CDOT can also activate it on any other state highway when weather or road conditions require.

You need one of the following: an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle on mud and snow (M+S), winter, or manufacturer-rated all-weather tires with at least 3/16-inch of tread — or, on any vehicle, chains or an approved alternative traction device on two or more drive tires.

Passenger Vehicle Chain Law

In a severe storm CDOT escalates to the Passenger Vehicle Chain Law. Every vehicle then needs chains or an approved device, whatever it drives on — CDOT calls this the final safety measure before the highway closes, so a sign showing it means the road is close to shutting.

Fines

Non-compliance is a $100 fine plus a $33 surcharge. If your vehicle ends up closing a travel lane, that becomes $500 plus a $157 surcharge.

Approved alternative traction devices

AutoSock, EasySox, Alpha Trax and ISSE tire socks are on the approved list. CDOT keeps the current list at apl.codot.gov.

Commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicles have a separate rule. Under the Must Carry Law, anything over 16,000 pounds combined or carrying 16 or more passengers must carry chains from September 1 through May 31 on sections of I-70, Colorado 9 and US 40, 50, 160, 285 and 550 — $500 for not carrying them, and up to $1,000 plus a surcharge for blocking the road. CDOT keeps 130 chain stations across the state for it.

How you will know it is active

• Highway signs on the corridor
• COtrip.org, CDOT's own travel map
• CDOT road and travel condition alerts

Text and email alerts are available from subscription.cotrip.org ↗.

Traction and chain law status is set by CDOT and changes with the storm. This page does not carry it — what it does carry, below, is CDOT's own report of the pavement on the I-70 corridor, which is a different thing. Check COtrip ↗ for the requirement in force before you drive.

Source: CDOT, checked August 26, 2026.

Related Roads

I-70 in Colorado Road Weather FAQ

Is Interstate 70 in Colorado closed right now?

No full closures are reported on I-70 in Colorado as of Oct 8, 2026 9:17 PM MDT. One lane closure, roadworks or restriction is in force. They are listed under closures and road blocks on this page.

What are I-70 in Colorado road conditions today?

The map on this page colors the route along I-70 in Colorado by what is on the pavement right now — dry, wet, slush, snow or ice — from radar and surface data, last updated Oct 8, 2026 9:04 PM MDT. Right now temperatures run from 51°F to 74°F and the strongest wind is 13 mph.

What is the Colorado traction law?

You need one of the following: an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle on mud and snow (M+S), winter, or manufacturer-rated all-weather tires with at least 3/16-inch of tread — or, on any vehicle, chains or an approved alternative traction device on two or more drive tires. It is in force September 1 through May 31 on the I-70 Mountain Corridor between Dotsero and Morrison. CDOT can also activate it on any other state highway when weather or road conditions require.

How much is the fine for not following the Colorado chain law?

Non-compliance is a $100 fine plus a $33 surcharge. If your vehicle blocks a travel lane, $500 plus a $157 surcharge.

Do I need chains to drive I-70 in Colorado in winter?

Not always. Under a Traction Law, all-wheel or four-wheel drive on compliant tires with 3/16-inch of tread is enough. In a severe storm CDOT escalates to the Passenger Vehicle Chain Law. Every vehicle then needs chains or an approved device, whatever it drives on — CDOT calls this the final safety measure before the highway closes, so a sign showing it means the road is close to shutting.

What counts as an approved alternative traction device in Colorado?

AutoSock, EasySox, Alpha Trax and ISSE tire socks are on the approved list. CDOT keeps the current list at apl.codot.gov.

Are there mountain passes on I-70 in Colorado?

Yes — 2 on this site: Vail Pass at 10,662 ft and Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 ft. Each has its own summit page.

Where are Colorado road closures reported officially?

Colorado's official traveler information service is COtrip, at cotrip.org, and it is where closures and restrictions are reported.

Are there live traffic cameras on I-70 in Colorado?

Yes. This page shows 6 live views on I-70 in Colorado from the state transportation departments' own camera feeds, further down the page, refreshed each time you load it.

How often are I-70 in Colorado road conditions updated?

The road surface and weather layers are rebuilt whenever this page is opened with data more than ten minutes old, and refreshed on a schedule in between, so nothing here is more than about two hours old even on a road nobody has looked at. Closures and road blocks are re-imported from the state 511 feeds every fifteen minutes, and the written state-by-state summaries are refreshed daily. Every section on this page carries the time its data was fetched.