Colorado troopers ‘actively enforcing’ left lane restrictions for commercial vehicles on I-70
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reports that state police are actively patrolling in order to enforce left lane restrictions for commercial vehicles on portions of I-70.
On December 3, 2025, CDOT announced a partnership with the Colorado State Patrol to keep the I-70 Mountain Corridor safer and more reliable during storms.
As part of this effort, the “Colorado State Patrol is actively enforcing the CMV left-lane restriction on I-70 at Floyd Hill, Georgetown Hill, Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels, Vail Pass, Dowd Junction, and Glenwood Canyon,” CDOT said.
Colorado troopers are conducting regular patrols on I-70 to catch trucks violating the left lane restriction, with special emphasis during storms and at peak travel periods, and violators are subject to fines and points.
CDOT crews are also installing new lane markings in the left lane and signage at Georgetown Hill, Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels, Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon in order to remind truckers about the lane restrictions.
“Every minute matters during a winter storm,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “When a semi blocks the left lane on Vail Pass or the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels approach, it can shut down travel for hours. This restriction helps prevent those closures and gives our crews the room they need to keep the corridor open.”
In 2024, a law went into effect in Colorado forbidding truckers from using the left lane of I-70 unless they are actively passing in the following areas:
- In Glenwood Canyon
- In Dowd Junction (The curvy section of I-70 between Avon and Vail)
- The west side of Vail Pass
- The tunnel grade on both sides of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels
- Georgetown Hill
- Floyd Hill
“Safety is our highest priority,” said CDOT’s Director of Maintenance and Operations Shawn Smith. “These tools – strong winter operations, disciplined traction management and the CMV left-lane restriction – work together to keep travelers moving and to protect the crews who are out there in the worst of the weather.”