Aspen News-Independence Pass Closing Today

November 7, 2007

“You cant get there from here,” Aspen is almost the end of the road starting Wednesday, November 7th at 2pm

Today the highway crews will lock the gates to Independence Pass, closing off Highway 82 over the 12,095-foot pass east of Aspen until next Spring. The pass will not reopen until late May, weather permitting.

Work crews from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will lock the gates at the base of the pass at both the Aspen and Twin Lakes side at 2 pm. Then, the road crews will meet at the summit - the Continental Divide – and search both sides of the pass, escorting out anyone they find to assure nobody is locked in for the winter season.

Any motorist who inadvertently gets caught behind the locked gates can recover their vehicle. On the Aspen side, travelers can call the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office at 970-920-5300, which has a key to unlock the gate.

Nov. 7 is the traditional closure date for the pass even though the current good weather could allow it to remain open longer. Early season snowstorms have caused the closure earlier in past years.

Last month, CDOT closed the pass temporarily when conditions deteriorated, then reopened the route when the weather cleared.

Once Independence Pass closes for the winter, there is only one way in and out of Aspen, Colorado and thats by road via Highway 82 to the northwest. It links up with Interstate 70 in Glenwood Springs.

Written by debbie · Filed Under Local News | Leave a Comment

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