 Eisenhower Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Approx. 60 miles (100 km) west of Denver, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°40′43″N 105°55′12″W / 39.6785°N 105.9200°W |
| Route |  I-70 |
| Crosses | Continental Divide |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1973 Eisenhower (westbound) 1979 Johnson (eastbound) |
| Operator | Colorado Department of Transportation |
| Character | Twin-bore tunnel |
| Vehicles per day | 32,260 vehicles (2007) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.693 mi (2.72 km) westbound 1.697 mi (2.73 km) eastbound |
| Highest elevation | 11,158 ft (3,401 m) west portal |
| Lowest elevation | 11,013 ft (3,357 m) east portal |
| Tunnel clearance | 13.92 ft (4.24 m) |
| Width | 40 ft (12.2 m) each |
| Grade | 1.64% |
The Eisenhower Tunnel, officially the Eisenhower–Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel,[1] is a dual-bore, four-lane vehicular tunnel in the western United States, approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of Denver, Colorado. The tunnel carries Interstate 70 (I-70) under the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. With a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet (3,401 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world. The tunnel is the longest mountain tunnel and highest point on the Interstate Highway System. Opened in 1973, the westbound bore is named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, the U.S. President for whom the Interstate system is also named. The eastbound bore was completed in 1979 and is named for Edwin C. Johnson, a governor and U.S. Senator who lobbied for an Interstate Highway to be built across Colorado.