Loveland Pass is a high mountain pass in the Colorado Rockies on the Continental Divide. Loveland Pass Summit is located on U.S. Highway 6, approximately 10 miles east of the town of Dillon, Colorado. U.S. Highway 6 is the original central route across the state of Colorado, which was subsequently replaced by Interstate 70 and the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels. Over-height trucks and trucks carrying hazardous materials are not allowed in the tunnels and must use the old Loveland Pass to bypass the tunnels. There is a large amount of fuel tanker traffic on Loveland Pass and the pass is notorious for fiery tanker rollover crashes.

U. S. Highway 6 on both sides of Loveland Summit is a classic steep winding mountain shelf road. The summit of Loveland Pass is nearly 12,000 feet in elevation and the pass is reportedly the highest mountain pass in the world that stays open during the winter. The pass is commonly used for back-country car shuttle skiing, so skiers are commonly encountered on the pass road, hitchhiking or waiting for a ride back to the summit. Loveland Pass receives a large amount of snow in the winter, and often either has chain restrictions for commercial trucks or is closed for avalanche control.

Westbound U.S. 6 from the Loveland Summit has a vertical descent of 2,582 feet over a distance of 8.4 miles. The grade has a steady, steep descent for this distance before flattening to a gradual descent continuing into the town of Dillon, where the highway intersects with I-70. The descent has numerous advisory speed curves, the lowest having an advisory speed of 20 mph, at 1.3 miles west of the summit and a second 20-mph curve at 2.5 miles west of the summit. A highway department maintenance facility is about 3.1 miles from the summit, where highway maintenance trucks entering and leaving the driveway should be expected. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area is located approximately 3.6 miles west of the summit and has numerous parking areas on both sides of the road. Additionally, 8.2 miles west of the summit is Keystone Ski Area. Entering traffic should be expected at these locations, particularly in the morning and afternoon from the October to June ski season. After passing the Keystone ski area, U.S. Highway 6 continues into the town of Dillon, where numerous intersections and traffic signals will likely require stops.

Eastbound U.S. 6 from the Loveland Summit has a vertical descent of 1,287 feet over a distance of 4.3 miles. The descent is steady and steep, with numerous advisory speed curves, the lowest being a 20-mph curve at 1.2 miles east of the summit. Loveland Ski Area is located on the eastside of the pass near the base, with parking lot entrances on both sides of the highway from 3.6 miles to 4.7 miles east of the summit. The grade flattens at approximately 4.3 miles east of the summit just before reaching its intersection with I-70 at about 4.7 miles east of the summit. U.S. Highway 6 intersects with I-70 by way of an entrance ramp and merging onto I-70 is required. Additionally, a traffic metering signal at the entrance to I-70 may require a stop. After merging onto I-70, a steep downgrade should be expected for approximately the next 11 miles.

Pass Name:	Loveland
Traversed by Highway:	US 6
Summit Elevation:	11,990 ft
Summit Conditions:	Pullout area on right and left of summit is crowded with skiers and site seeing traffic.
Summit Milepost:	225

Base Elevation:	9,408 ft
Vertical Distance:	2,582 ft
Base Milepost:	216
Driving Distance:	8.4 miles from summit
Posted Speed Limit:	30 mph
Calculated Average Grade:	5.8% for 8.4 miles
Lowest Advisory Speed:	20 mph at 2.5 miles from summit
Number of Lanes:	One westbound and one eastbound
Number of Switchbacks:	Three
Number of Advisory Curves:	Sixteen
Runaway Ramps:	One on right at 6.1 miles from summit
Number of Brake Check Stations:	None

Advisory Speed	Location from Summit	Sign
25 mph	0.7 miles	Left Hairpin Curve
20 mph	1.3 miles	Right Hairpin Curve
30 mph	1.5 miles	Left Curve
25 mph	2.2 miles	Right Curve
20 mph	2.5 miles	Right Reverse Hairpin Curve
30 mph	2.9 miles	Right Turn
25 mph	3.3 miles	Right Reverse Turn
35 mph	3.9 miles	Right Curve
35 mph	4.2 miles	Left Curve
35 mph	4.5 miles	Right Windy Road
40 mph	5.9 miles	Right Curve
40 mph	6.2 miles	Left Curve
40 mph	6.6 miles	Right Curve
40 mph	7.6 miles	Left Reverse Curve
40 mph	7.9 miles	Right Curve

MAXIMUM TRUCK WEIGHT (POUNDS)	MAXIMUM SAFE SPEED (MPH)	BRAKE TEMP FROM DECLINE (°F)	BRAKE TEMP FROM EMERGENCY STOP (°F)	TOTAL BRAKE TEMP. (°F)	TOTAL TRAVEL TIME (MIN.)
80,000	14	467	4	471	36.0
75,000	17	491	6	497	29.6
70,000	20	489	8	497	25.2
65,000	24	479	11	490	21.0
60,000	30	462	16	478	16.8
*These speeds are based on an average grade from the summit to the base. Some grade segments may be steeper than the average and require a slower speed.

Base Elevation:	10,690 ft
Vertical Distance:	1,300 ft
Base Milepost:	217
Driving Distance:	4.3 miles from summit
Posted Speed Limit:	30 mph
Calculated Average Grade:	5.7% for 4.3 miles then +3.7% for 11 miles
Lowest Advisory Speed:	20 mph at 1.2 miles from summit
Number of Lanes:	One eastbound / One westbound
Number of Switchbacks:	Three
Number of Advisory Curves:	Eight
Runaway Ramps:	None
Number of Brake Check Stations:	None
Required Stops:	Traffic metering signal at junction of I-70

Advisory Speed	Location from Summit	Sign
25 mph	0.1 miles	Left Windy Road
None	1.1 miles	Right Turn
20 mph	1.2 miles	Left Hairpin Curve
25 mph	1.9 miles	Right Reverse Turn
25 mph	2.1 miles	Right Hairpin Curve
30 mph	2.5 miles	Left Curve
30 mph	2.9 miles	Left Curve
30 mph	3.5 miles	Right Hairpin Curve

MAXIMUM TRUCK WEIGHT (POUNDS)	MAXIMUM SAFE SPEED (MPH)	BRAKE TEMP FROM DECLINE (°F)	BRAKE TEMP FROM EMERGENCY STOP (°F)	TOTAL BRAKE TEMP. (°F)	TOTAL TRAVEL TIME (MIN.)
80,000	24	473	14	487	38.3
75,000	29	472	19	491	31.7
70,000	30	417	19	436	30.6
*These speeds are based on an average grade from the summit to the base. Some grade segments may be steeper than the average and require a slower speed.