DENVER — Before there was a route through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, there was only Loveland Pass.
The pass was the original horse and wagon route to the west side of the Continental Divide. The first automobile crossed Loveland Pass on Sept. 29, 1929, when it was still an unpaved wagon road. That wouldn't change until 1954, when it was paved into an automobile highway.
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A look at the history of Colorado's Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel
And it still would take another nearly 50 years until the Eisenhower Tunnel was completed.
Loveland Pass was named after William A.H. Loveland, the president of the Colorado Central Railroad, who is also credited with founding the City of Golden.
Now part of US Highway 6, the pass straddles the Continental Divide at a peak elevation of 11,990 feet and averages a 6% grade along hairpin switchbacks. But one of the most important aspects of Loveland Pass for western slope communities are all the trucks that bring fuel over it yearround. Normally, hazardous material trucks, as well as trucks over 13 feet, 11 inches in height, are not allowed through the Eisenhower or Johnson tunnels.
Truckers who drive Loveland Pass, especially in winter, will tell you it can be a terrifying experience.
"We have a tough time recruiting and hiring drivers to make that run,” said Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association.
Loveland is the highest mountain pass in Colorado that regularly stays open during the winter season.
There are certain materials, including explosives and some radioactive materials and gasses, that are never allowed to pass through the EJMT. Truckers hauling certain flammable liquids, including fuel for vehicles or aircraft, are permitted at the top of every hour to use the Eisenhower or Johnson tunnel but only when Loveland Pass is closed. The pass will be closed by the Colorado Department of Transportation or Colorado State Patrol depending on weather conditions, snowpack and avalanche control and cleanup.
State officials say the risk of a fire inside either tunnel is too great to allow for regular trips of trucks carrying flammable liquids to pass through. Even with a recently upgraded state-of-the-art fire suppression system, the risk of cutting off the western slope from other essential deliveries is just too great.
On average, 1,800 vehicles use Loveland Pass every day. Twenty percent of those, according to CDOT numbers, are trucks and most of those trucks are hauling fuel. Fulton said he believes those numbers will climb in the near future but could level off — or even decrease — depending on the number of electric vehicles in use in the future. CDOT’s projected daily traffic count over Loveland Pass only rises by 300 vehicles to 2100 by 2043.
The frequent closures disrupt enough travelers that someone created a website dedicated to letting people know if Loveland Pass is open or not.
The site is simply called Is Loveland Pass Open. Founder Tracy Francis also includes the road conditions, like if the highway is wet, snow-covered or icy. The site pulls information from CDOT and includes a link to see the still camera views of the pass, as well as a look at the past history of when the pass has been closed or open. They also have links to 14 other companion sites for travelers wanting to know if other major Colorado passes are open. They don’t include seasonal passes like Independence Pass.