History Eisenhower Tunnel

western portal tunnel. traffic signal controlled truck height sensor , control personnel.

the idea tunnel under loveland pass existed @ least since 1940s. serious discussion began when state of colorado lobbied interstate highway system route transcontinental highway across colorado. after round of negotiations utah officials, decided best option follow u.s. route 6 corridor. engineers recommended tunnel under pass, rather attempt build route across conformed interstate highway standards.

the eisenhower–johnson memorial tunnel known straight creek tunnel during construction, named waterway runs along western approach tunnel. before tunnel dedicated, renamed honor dwight d. eisenhower , edwin c. johnson. construction on first bore of tunnel started on march 15, 1968. construction efforts suffered many setbacks , project went on time , budget. 1 of biggest setbacks discovery of fault lines in path of tunnel not discovered during pilot bores. these faults began slip during construction , emergency measures had taken protect tunnels , workers cave-ins , collapses. despite best efforts of engineers, 3 workers killed boring first tube, , 4 in boring second.

further complicating construction, boring machines not work fast expected @ such high elevations; productivity less planned. frustration prompted 1 engineer comment, going book, damned mountain couldn t read . though project supposed take 3 years, tunnel not opened traffic until march 8, 1973. initially, northern eisenhower bore used two-way traffic, 1 lane each direction. amount of traffic through tunnel exceeded predictions, , efforts began expedite construction on southern bore. construction began on eastbound edwin c. johnson tunnel on august 18, 1975 , finished on december 21, 1979. initial engineering cost estimate eisenhower bore $42 million; actual cost $108 million (equivalent $583 million in 2017). approximately 90% of funds paid federal government, state of colorado paying rest. @ time, figure set record expensive federally aided project. excavation cost johnson bore $102.8 million (equivalent $339 million in 2017). not included in these figures $50 million in non-boring expenses in construction of both tunnels.

west portal in summer 1978

the tunnel construction became unintentionally involved in women s rights movement when janet bonnema applied position engineering technician colorado department of transportation. given assignment on straight creek tunnels project, supervisor misread resume , thought hiring james . when supervisor discovered department had hired woman, instead tasked doing support work office. there opposition woman entering construction site: 1 supervisor stated if entered, workers flat walk out of there tunnel , d never come . workers, of whom had mining background, expressed common superstition woman brought bad luck mine. 1 worker insisted, s jinx. ve seen many die after woman in tunnel. bonnema sued department right work inside tunnel. countered in better shape , more agile of men working on tunnel. emboldened passage of equal rights law in colorado, entered tunnel, entourage of reporters, on november 9, 1972. workers did walk off job; @ least 1 yelled, women out of here . remained determined , re-entered tunnel few days later. next time dressed in coveralls, , assigned tasks on roof of tunnel overlooking men below. surprised nobody apparently noticed woman, stated, had disguise .

plane crash

during construction in 1970, plane crash occurred less 2 miles (3 km) northeast of east portal on friday, october 2. martin 4-0-4 charter aircraft, 1 of 2 carrying college football team of wichita state university, crashed north of highway (39°41′37″n 105°52′57″w / 39.6935°n 105.8825°w / 39.6935; -105.8825). of 40 passengers , crew on board, 9 survived. team on way game utah state university in logan, , had refueled @ denver s stapleton international airport. incident plane, carrying team s starters, departed denver , traveled poorly planned scenic route. other plane, carrying reserve players, followed original route , landed safely in logan. workers constructing tunnel among first on scene @ crash site.