Colorado to Prohibit Trucks from Passing Left Lane on I-70

Interstate 70 is a major throughway to travel through Colorado, regardless of whether a driver is heading westward to Utah or eastward to the I-70’s end in Baltimore. But some new legislation signed by the governor will make it filled with more regulatory burdens come August 2024.

Details

Our title for this article is a little bit misleading, but including all of the full details in the title would make it far too long. There is a lot more to this bill than just merely banning the left lane from heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

The bill, SB24-100, was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on May 20th, and has two different regulations that drivers may want to take notice of starting in August.

The first is the prohibition of driving in the leftmost lane on the I-70 in specific areas “unless specifically required or authorized to pass by law.” These segments are:

• Between mile markers 115.5 and 131.0 (Glenwood Canyon)
• Between mile markers 169.5 and 173.0 (Dowd Junction)
• Between mile markers 180 and 190.5 (Vail Pass)
• Between mile markers 205.5 and 221.0 (Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel)
• Between mile markers 224.0 and 228.5 (Georgetown Hill)
• Between mile markers 243.0 and 247.0 (Floyd Hill)

It totals 53.5 miles in total. Considering every single one of these locations is a “Canyon”, “Hill”, “Pass”, and so forth, it is safe to assume that keeping trucks from driving in the fast lane is for safety reasons.

The other purpose of SB24-100 is to require the use of chains on specific roadways from September 1st to May 31st, the most commonly used route being the Interstate 70 again, from west of mile marker 259.

Conclusion

It is imperative that, if you travel through Colorado (and especially along the I-70), you understand that these rules are going into effect before the summer ends so that you may avoid getting into trouble with law enforcement and getting a ticket that could cost hundreds, or potentially even suspend a Commercial Driver’s License.

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