The Colorado Dept. of Transportation (CDOT) reports that new electronic signs have been placed in the eastbound direction through the Eisenhower Tunnel.
The new signs should provide some additional clearance, which will alleviate problems for truckers in the winter when snow builds up on the trailer, often triggering the over-height alarm within the tunnel.
If the alarm is triggered, the driver must use Loveland Pass or clear the top of the trailer of snow before traveling through the tunnel.
The additional time and cost involved in either strategy has posed problems for trucking companies, according to the Colorado Motor Carriers Assn. (CMCA). For the past several years, the CMCA has sought to have the signs in the tunnel elevated to provide more clearance. CDOT responded to the association's concerns and mandated in their specifications for new signs that additional clearance be provided. CDOT has not changed the signage leading to the tunnel nor the over-height alarm height yet, but plans to do so soon, according to an association spokesperson. Although the signs have been replaced in the eastbound direction, new signs in the westbound direction have been delayed because of a lack of funds.