US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon to See Restrictions in June

Heads up, climber types!

US 6 (sometimes locally known as the Clear Creek Road) is now seeing a bunch of closures at its far western end between the I-70 frontage road (where Kermit's Roadhouse used to be) and CO 119 (the road to Blackhawk).

This won't affect Front Range climbers, but if you're coming down from, say, Evergreen or any points west, you will be affected.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has some interesting detours planned.

The closures began yesterday.

This is one of the more confusing sets of travel restrictions I've ever seen (hours- and locations-wise), so I'm just going to quote the CDOT website:

"The following closures are planned for Clear Creek Canyon between I-70 Frontage Road (US 40) and CO 119:

• Daytime alternating traffic - Single-lane, alternating travel through the construction zone with flaggers in place to guide traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 14.
• Overnight full closure - For the damaged lighting at Tunnel 6 to be completed, full closures are planned from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 9 to Wednesday, June 12 and Sunday, June 16 to Wednesday, June 19.
• During the full closure, the following detours will be in place:
  • I-70 from westbound US 6: Motorists will take CO 119 northwest to Black Hawk, followed by Central City Parkway southeast.
  • Lower Clear Creek Canyon from I-70: Motorists will take I-70 east to US 6 north into Golden, followed by US 6 west.
  • Motorists should be aware of lane closures and potential lane shifts leading up to the tunnel.
  • There will be a wide-load restriction of 12-foot during working hours.
• There will be no planned closures during the weekends."

If you want your head to wobble off your shoulders, go here .

You'll note there's no end date suggested in the advisory, just "June."

Anyway, I say good luck climbers, good luck travelers, and especially good luck to CDOT. That's one heck of a clammy-jammy road in the summer.