Rich in mining history, the Mountain Mineral Belt design segment rises from the foothills. Dotted with historic towns including Idaho Springs and Georgetown, the Mountain Mineral Belt offers scenic views, lush forests, rocky hillsides, waterways, and access to local and regional destinations and recreational opportunities. The Mountain Mineral Belt design segment contains five Areas of Special Attention (ASA) including Floyd Hill, Twin Tunnels; Idaho Springs; DLD and Empire Junction; and Georgetown and Silver Plume.
The Tunnel Visioning Design Workshop is the result of state and local interest in the I-70 Mountain Corridor and a desire for improvements to the existing weekend congestion. A focal point of the congestion and delay has long been the Twin Tunnel area. The Twin Tunnels encourage drivers to slow down as they approach the seemingly narrow tunnels. These slowing vehicles create a queue stretching back, sometimes, for 4 and 5 miles. It was decided to bring together technical experts in the areas of tunneling, roadway design, geotechnical engineering, traffic operations, and transit design for 1 week. The process, participants, and the results are detailed in this report.
"The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (lead agencies) prepared this Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to provide reader-friendly, concise information about the major findings of the Interstate 70 (I-70) Mountain Corridor National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. This Final PEIS encompasses data gathered and presented over a ten-year period..."-- p. I-1.
Discussion of rock falls along I-70 in the Georgetown-Silver Plume area and the ways that CDOT mitigates rock fall. Includes early history of Georgetown and Silver Plume and discussion of transportation planning and building for both railroads as well as vehicles.
