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Interstate-70 running through Glenwood Canyon is one of the most spectacular segments of the US Interstate system. Photo credit: Vince Matthews for the CGS.

The Glenwood Canyon Highway

2022-03-16 | CGS Admin

This recent RMPBS/Colorado Experience video traces the history of transportation through Colorado’s spectacular Glenwood Canyon. It focuses on the complex construction process of Interstate-70 that sought to harmonize with the geology and the landscape.

Initially fraught with controversy and opposition, the Glenwood Canyon Highway is one of the most scenic highways in the United States. In collaboration with a citizen advisory committee and the use of context sensitive design, the Glenwood Canyon Highway was completed in 1992, and remains an architectural and engineering feat.

For those readers who may be driving I-70, there are several rest areas in the canyon that provide access to hiking including a short jaunt to Hanging Lake, another one of our POGIs (Points of Geologic Interest). A paved cycling and walking path also runs from Glenwood Springs along the whole length of the canyon, giving the visitor a leisurely and up-close experience of both the canyon and the Colorado River.