In mid-March, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation marked the 40th anniversary of the dedication and opening of the westbound bore of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel west of Denver. It is the highest vehicle tunnel in the world, at 11,155 ft.
The Eisenhower Tunnel was the first of two bores to open to help facilitate easier transportation between Colorado’s east and west slopes. Actual construction of the 1.7-mile tunnel began on March 15, 1968. When the first bore was completed in 1973, it eliminated the 9.5-mile drive on U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass. Traffic continued in a two-lane configuration until the second bore (Johnson Tunnel), serving eastbound traffic, was completed on December 23, 1979.