Ski areas open to I-70 'zipper lane'
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- Created on Monday, 20 December 2010 14:32
- Written by Nathan
By JASON BLEVINS, THE DENVER POST
Ski areas and ski-town businesses along Interstate 70 are hesitantly embracing the "zipper lane" proposal that would borrow other-direction lanes during peak traffic times.
"We have been working on this I-70 stuff for so long, we are open to every option out there, and this is a viable one," said Craig Bannister, public-affairs manager for Colorado Ski Country, which represents 21 ski areas. "The industry perspective is that something needs to be done, and this could be it."
Bannister said it was unclear whether his group's member resorts would support the proposed zipper lanes financially. The cost of installing the movable lane barriers — reducing westbound lanes to one and increasing eastbound lanes to three on wintertime Sundays from 1 to 8 p.m. — would cost at least $24 million, according to state transportation officials.
Copper Mountain chief Gary Rodgers said the zipper-lane proposal is "intriguing." Copper Mountain is a founding member of the I-70 Coalition group, which is working to relieve congestion on the skier- trafficked corridor.
"We recommend that alternatives should continue to be investigated," said Rodgers, noting that the zipper- lane proposal leaves "many unanswered questions" concerning emergency-vehicle and snowplow access.
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