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 the 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 where 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.
SUMMIT
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
WESTBOUND DESCENT
Base Elevation:
9,408 ft
Vertical Distance:
2,582 ft
Base Milepost:
216
Driving Distance:
8.4 miles
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, One eastbound
Number of Switchbacks:
Three
Number of Advisory Speed Curves:
Sixteen
Runaway Ramps:
One on right at 6.1 miles from summit
ADVISORY SPEED CURVES
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
ELEVATIONS
Mile Marker
Elevation
Change in Elevation
Percent Grade
225
11,990 ft.
224
11,667 ft.
323 ft.
6.1%
223
11,348 ft.
319 ft.
6.0%
222
11,077 ft.
271 ft.
5.1%
221
10,736 ft.
341 ft.
6.4%
220
10,411 ft.
325 ft.
6.1%
219
10,109 ft.
302 ft.
5.7%
218
9,799 ft.
310 ft.
5.8%
217
9,513 ft.
286 ft.
5.4%
216
9,408 ft.
110 ft.
2.0%
RECOMMENDED SPEEDS FROM THE GRADE SEVERITY RATING SYSTEM
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.
Loveland Pass Westbound
EASTBOUND DESCENT
Base Elevation:
10,690 ft
Vertical Distance:
1,300 ft
Base Milepost:
217
Driving Distance:
4.3 miles
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
Required Stops:
Traffic metering signal at junction of I-70
ADVISORY SPEED CURVES
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
ELEVATIONS
Mile Marker
Elevation
Change in Elevation
Percent Grade
225
11,990 ft.
226
11,723 ft.
267 ft.
5.0%
227
11,418 ft.
305 ft.
5.7%
228
11,091 ft.
327 ft.
6.1%
229
10,816 ft.
275 ft.
5.2%
RECOMMENDED SPEEDS FROM THE GRADE SEVERITY RATING SYSTEM (Includes continued decent on I-70)
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.
