Summer travel season wraps up this weekend

News Release

Denver - The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds drivers to expect heavy traffic statewide during Labor Day weekend due to holiday events and recreational travel. To minimize delays, CDOT will suspend all non-emergency construction projects from Friday through Monday, with work resuming Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Motorists should anticipate increased congestion along the Front Range and on mountain highways, particularly along Interstate 70 west of Denver. Peak westbound I-70 traffic is expected from mid-morning to early evening on Friday and early morning to mid-afternoon on Saturday. Eastbound I-70 will see its highest traffic on Labor Day, from mid-morning to late afternoon, especially between Eagle and Summit counties and Denver.

To manage holiday travel, CDOT recommends using the upgraded COtrip Planner App and COtrip.org. The app and site now feature a new camera layout with enhanced views and automatic live streaming, upgrading the Trip Planner and tailored search options based on user's searches, which includes guided quick buttons to high-priority locations and streamlining access to the state map. Motorists are encouraged to enable push notifications on the COtrip Planner app to be alerted to any upcoming closures or traffic impacts on their planned routes. Road information is also available by calling 511.

Travel through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on non-holiday weekends during the summer high travel season - early July through mid-August - averages 45,000 vehicles per day. CDOT expects Tunnel traffic to exceed non-holiday summer averages, projecting over 46,900 vehicles per day through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels. In 2025, Labor Day holiday weekend traffic through the EJMT was as follows:

Friday, Aug. 29

• Westbound: 28,902
• Eastbound: 18,000
• Total: 46,902

Saturday, Aug. 30

• Westbound: 25,536
• Eastbound: 17,728
• Total: 43,264

Sunday, Aug. 31

• Westbound: 19,367
• Eastbound: 25,211
• Total: 44,578

Monday, Sept. 1

• Westbound: 15,533
• Eastbound: 29,784
• Total: 45,317

Labor Day Weekend final totals

• Westbound: 89,338
• Eastbound: 90,723
• Total: 180,061

CDOT's Traffic Operations Manager provides a weekend travel outlook for Labor Day Weekend 2026.

I-70 Mountain Express Lanes & Holiday Travel Operations

The westbound I-70 Mountain Express Lanes will be operating Thursday, Sept. 3, through Monday, Sept. 7, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The eastbound Express Lane will run Saturday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hours of operation may be modified due to traffic conditions.

Mountain Pass & Scenic Byway

• Independence Pass (CO 82) & Trail Ridge Road: Both seasonal routes remain open through the fall until winter weather forces seasonal closures.
• Mount Blue Sky (CO 5): The highway to the summit remains open through Labor Day weekend. The section between Summit Lake and the summit closes for the season at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. The lower segment from Echo Lake to Summit Lake will remain open until adverse weather requires a full closure.

Transit Alternatives

Drivers can skip holiday traffic by using CDOT's transit services:

• Bustang & Bustang Outrider: Provide regional transit connections between Denver, Grand Junction, Fort Collins, Trinidad, and rural destinations, as well as direct service to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
• Pegasus: Offers microtransit shuttle service along the I-70 mountain corridor between Denver and Avon.

Please visit ridebustang.com for schedules and to book tickets.

CDOT Safety Patrol

CDOT Safety Patrol units will assist stranded motorists and manage traffic flow across major Denver-metro highways, I-25 (Fort Collins to Colorado Springs), and key corridors throughout the holiday weekend. Patrol hours:

• Peak: 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Off-peak: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Weekend: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to "know before you go." Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

• Road conditions and travel information: COtrip.org
• Download the COtrip Planner app: bit.ly/COtripapp
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts
• Check scheduled construction lane closures: bit.ly/laneclosures
• Connect with @ColoradoDOT on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Be patient!

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!