DENVER – The Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70 broke several traffic records over the weekend.
Many people may not realize that traffic is heavier on I-70 in the summer than in the winter and this past weekend saw more drivers than ever before.
Sunday, Aug. 6 saw the highest number of cars in a 24-hour period, with a total of 54,659 vehicles passing through the tunnel. The previous record was 54,061, which occurred on July 31, 2016.
This past weekend also saw the most traffic in a 3-day period. From Friday through Sunday, 157,657 vehicles drove through the Eisenhower Tunnel, beating last year’s record of 153,503.
In addition, Sunday saw the highest traffic in a single hour – 4,892 cars as of 1 p.m. Aug. 6. The previous record was 4,859 vehicles on July 31, 2016.
Representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation said the toll lane for eastbound traffic is helping with congestion in the area and work to construct a westbound toll lane is scheduled to begin next fall.