The average grade of both tunnels is 1.64 percent rising toward the west (rising 1.64 feet for each 100 feet on the horizontal). The length of the westbound/Eisenhower Bore is 1.693 miles, and the length of the eastbound/Johnson Bore is 1.697 miles (outside, face to outside face of the ventilation buildings). Johnson, a past governor and US senator who had actively supported an interstate highway system across Colorado.Ĭenterline to centerline, the two tunnel bores are approximately 115 feet apart at the east ventilation building entrance, 120 feet apart at the west ventilation building entrance, and some 230 feet at the widest point of separation under the mountain. This eastbound bore was named after Edwin C. 18, 1975, and was completed four years later on Dec. This bore was originally called the Straight Creek Tunnel, and later was officially named the Eisenhower Memorial Bore.Ĭonstruction on the second bore began Aug. The Eisenhower Tunnel celebrates a big milestone of "Connecting Colorado for 50 Years" as of March 8, 2023. 15, 1968, and was completed five years later on Mar. Construction on the westbound bore (Eisenhower Tunnel) began Mar. Crew members are also responsible for monitoring the air quality levels Inside the tunnel and control the ventilation fans to ensure the carbon monoxide levels are kept low.ĮJMT was originally designed as a twin bore tunnel. All tunnel employees are trained firefighters, and the tunnel has its own fire truck and tow truck co crews can respond to emergencies and clear crashes in or near the tunnel. The team that manages EJMT is one of nine Maintenance and Operations sections dedicated to developing and maintaining the best possible multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively moves people, goods and information. Annual snowfall in the area averages 315 inches (26 feet) from November through April.ĮJMT is located in the Colorado Department of Transportation's Denver Metro region (Region 1, in Maintenance Section 9). The tunnel and the Continental Divide also separate two watersheds: the Clear Creek Watershed on the east side and the Straight Creek Watershed on the west side. The facility lies entirely within the Arapaho National Forest and is divided by two counties: Clear Creek County at the East Portal and Summit County at the West Portal. Since then, higher tunnels have been built across the globe. When originally opened in the 1970s, the tunnel was not only the highest vehicular tunnel in the US, but at that time it was also the highest in the world. Located about 60 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70, EJMT traverses through the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. This tunnel is the result of more than 50 years of discussion, planning, designing, and construction- with the Eisenhower Bore opening in 1973 and the Johnson Bore opening in 1979. The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT) is a vital connection to safely move people and goods from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains to the western slope.
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