Colorado Experience: The Glenwood Canyon Highway

Excellent video, but I’m surprised there was no mention that a railroad has also gone through this canyon for over 100 years. It’s a spectacular route that still has both passenger and freight service today. The tracks are visible in some of the shots in this video, mostly on the opposite side of the river from I-70.

Very honored to be a part of this amazing project constructing the Hanging Lake Tunnels

Loved the old canyon drive, was worried about the new highway. Spent hours in traffic stops during the years of construction, ( Denver-Grand Junction) was in awe of the end results. Silt became a ghost town, Grand Valley became Parachute, Carbondale got a stop light and our peaceful Rocky Mountain paradise became a memory.

My family and I were there for the ribbon cutting. It was a glorious day and so amazing to walk through the tunnels before the traffic began. We were given a piece of the core rock as a memento. Ralph Trapani went on to construct the Likelike Highway in Hawaii and then Owl Creek Canyon Highway from Glenwood Springs to Aspen. All of these highways are beautiful and made a world of difference for travelers.

I watched this being built in the '80s and always regretted not stopping to photograph the amazing engineering, Thank you for documenting and commemorating the achievement.

I remember traveling through the Glenwood Canyon in the 80s in my early 20s. The road construction would often hold up the traffic, sometimes up to a couple of hours. We would just sit in the car and wait and sometimes we’d get out of the car and walk over to the river.

So glad I got to experience the canyon as a kid in the 70's and driving it myself in the early 80's. I remember there was just a pull off at Hanging Lake. Still so beautiful driving thru it now. Wish someone had a complete video when it was just a 2 laner. Nice video!

Seeing this video had brought back many memories of when I was a kid traveling through Glenwood canyon with my parents or with my school when we had traveled back and forth from Rifle to Denver back in the 80's. We had lived 40 miles away from Rifle on Piceance creek. I vaguely remember the construction of this highway through that canyon. I currently live in Vernal Utah, just 30 minutes east of Fort Duchesne where Betsy Chapoose lives.

I cannot express enough how much I love the Colorado Experience series. So many of them have covered parts of Colorado I visited as a kid. I remember driving through Glenwood Canyon as a kid while my parents told this exact story. Thank you.

I still remember the first time I drove through Glenwood Canyon. It was in 1971. The road was only a two lane road back then. As I drove down the road a train came through across the river from me. It was all so breathtaking, the huge canyon walls, the lonesome train and me. That evening was engraved in my memory forever. When they blasted out unfathomable tons of rock to build the interstate I was deeply grieved. I realize it was a necessity, and I’m thankful they put such a great effort to make the highway blend in with the surroundings, but every time I drive through that canyon I think about that day so long ago and wish I could still see the canyon as it was back then.

Very cool video about an awesome place! I blame a drive along I-70 from North of Moab to Denver for me becoming a geologist. So inspirational!

been stopped many times during construction -sometimes 30-45 minutes - people would get out and walk up and down -- meeting other travelers -- the beauty of it and watching the rafters down on the river -- we never minded -- i remember john denver was adamately against it and laid down in front of a grader

I flagged nine and a half years in Glenwood canyon. It's still in my heart.

One of my favorite scenic places.

The world class off interstate access to trails and natural areas through this section of interstate was neglected to be discussed. Glenwood Canyon is a national treasure.

The stretch of I-70 thru Glenwood Canyon is the 2nd-most beautiful stretch of Interstate in the U.S. (1st is I-70 Green River to W terminus)-

Driving through the Glenwood Canyon at 5am to go to Eagle 🛫 is an experience. The darkest of dark at night. Worrying if one will see an obstruction to late, an animal on or going through the road or a rock slide. But driving through the canyon during sunrise is magical.

So lucky to work in Silt and to be able to pass the canyon is an experience like no other. The Canyon literally has its on weather sometimes!

I live at east end of the canyon and drive through the canyon at least once a week. Every time I drive the canyon, I am blown away by how beautiful it is. Now CDOT needs to build an alternative route for when the canyon is closed.

Excellent video! Such a beautiful drive through Glenwood Canyon to this day. I remember many trips in the late 80's through there and being stopped for blasting or other work and as someone mentioned in the comments, people would get out of their cars and talk and enjoy the Colorado weather while we waited. Ralph Trapani hosted our ASCE Student Chapter from Colorado State University field trip to the job site in the fall of 1987 - it was a great tour and behind the scenes look at all the work going on then.