The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is advising motorists to prepare for increased traffic across the state during the Labor Day weekend. The rise in travel is due to a variety of events and recreational activities marking the end of the summer season.
To help reduce congestion, CDOT will suspend all construction projects starting at noon on Friday, except for emergency operations. Regular construction schedules will resume on Tuesday, September 2.
Heavier traffic is expected along major corridors such as the Front Range, mountain highways, and especially Interstate 70 west of Denver. Westbound I-70 typically sees its highest volume from mid-morning to early evening on Friday and from early morning to mid-afternoon on Saturday. On Labor Day itself, eastbound I-70 traffic peaks from mid-morning through late afternoon, particularly between Eagle and Summit counties heading toward Denver.
During non-holiday weekends in the summer travel season, an average of 44,744 vehicles pass through the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels each day. For Labor Day Weekend, that number rises to about 46,890 vehicles per day. In 2024, a total of 187,562 vehicles traveled through the tunnels over the four-day holiday period.
Mountain express lanes will be open from Friday through Monday: westbound from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and eastbound from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., though hours may change based on real-time traffic conditions.
Seasonal routes like CO 82 over Independence Pass and Trail Ridge Road remain open into fall until weather forces closure for winter. However, CO 5 leading up Mount Blue Sky remains closed due to ongoing construction; more details are available on the Federal Highway Administration’s website.
Travelers can find updated road status information at cotrip.org or by calling 511. Specific updates for I-70 are provided at GoI70.com.
For those looking for alternatives to driving themselves, CDOT’s transit options include Bustang, Bustang Outrider, and Pegasus services. These offer connections between cities such as Denver and Grand Junction or Fort Collins and Trinidad; service also extends to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park as well as rural areas throughout Colorado. Shuttle vans operate along I-70 between Denver and Avon; schedules can be found at ridebustang.com.
CDOT Safety Patrol vehicles will be active during peak travel times—mornings and afternoons—to assist drivers in need and help maintain smooth traffic flow across major highways in the Denver area as well as stretches of I-25 north toward Fort Collins and south toward Colorado Springs.
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