Eisenhower Tunnel for Truckers in Colorado

The Highest Point on the Interstate System

The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel sits at mile post 213 on I-70 at 11,158 feet elevation — the highest point on the entire Interstate Highway System. It is a critical chokepoint for east-west freight through Colorado, and it comes with restrictions that every trucker must understand before entering the I-70 mountain corridor.

Tunnel Restrictions

The Hazmat Ban

This is absolute. All placarded hazardous materials are prohibited in the Eisenhower Tunnel. No exceptions, no time-of-day workarounds, no permit overrides. If you are hauling placarded hazmat on I-70, your only legal option is Loveland Pass.

Out-of-state drivers get caught at the tunnel regularly. If you reach the tunnel with placarded hazmat, you will be turned around. There is no convenient place to do this, and the delay will cost you hours. Know before you go.

Height and Width

The 13-foot-11-inch clearance is lower than many truckers expect. Standard 13-foot-6-inch loads clear with margin, but any load approaching 14 feet should be measured carefully. Loads over 11 feet wide must pull over before the tunnel and call CDOT for clearance before proceeding. This is enforced.

Loveland Pass: The Hazmat Alternative

Loveland Pass is 832 feet higher than the tunnel, with steep grades and tight switchbacks that test even experienced mountain drivers. The road was built before the Interstate era and was never designed for modern commercial traffic. In winter, avalanche risk is real, ice is common, and the exposure at nearly 12,000 feet means conditions can deteriorate within minutes.

When Loveland Pass Closes

When both the tunnel (for hazmat) and Loveland Pass (for weather) are closed simultaneously, there is no east-west route through this section of the Rockies for hazmat carriers. CDOT may organize hourly hazmat escorts through the tunnel during extended Loveland Pass closures, but this is not guaranteed and wait times can stretch for hours. Plan for the possibility of a full corridor shutdown during winter storms.

:::tip If you are hauling hazmat through Colorado, check both Eisenhower Tunnel status and Loveland Pass conditions on COTrip.org before departing. Have a contingency plan for a full closure day — it happens multiple times each winter. :::

Practical Planning

Before You Arrive

• Check COTrip.org for tunnel status, metering, and Loveland Pass conditions
• Verify your load height clears 13 feet 11 inches
• If hauling hazmat, plan for Loveland Pass and build extra time into your schedule
• Know the chain law status — chains may be required before or after the tunnel

Fuel and Services

• Dillon (MP 205): last major fuel stop eastbound before tunnel area
• Georgetown (MP 228): fuel and services after tunnel going eastbound
• Plan fuel before the tunnel — the mountain segment from Dillon to Georgetown has no services

Insurance Implications

The Eisenhower Tunnel and Loveland Pass represent two different risk profiles that affect your Colorado trucking insurance cost. Tunnel-only carriers face standard mountain corridor risk. Hazmat carriers forced onto Loveland Pass face a materially higher risk profile — a fully loaded hazmat vehicle on steep switchbacks at nearly 12,000 feet in winter conditions represents one of the highest-severity exposure scenarios in American trucking. Carriers running hazmat through Colorado should carry well above federal minimums.