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.

Loveland Pass Eastbound


 
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