CDOT Opening its Doors around the State this Weekend

May 16, 2016 - Denver Metro/CDOT Region 1 - DENVER — Have you ever wondered what the view is like from the inside of a snowplow? Or a State Patrol vehicle? Or what exactly takes place inside the control room and other areas of the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels (EJMT) and Hanging Lake Tunnels?

Now the general public has that opportunity.   

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) is inviting the public to Open Roads, an event being held at various location around the state on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., providing an overview of how the agency serves Colorado citizens.  In addition to showing off its equipment, attendees will be able to: 

  • Paint snowplow blades (children only).
  • Acquire information regarding road construction this summer.
  • View information about traffic metering, Express Lanes, safety metering and other topics of interest to the traveling public.
  • Obtain information about potential career opportunities at CDOT
  • Take a pledge to drive distraction-free by adding your name to our Drop the Distraction billboard;  Get car seats checked for proper fit by a certified technician; Meet traffic safety advocates from your area to ask questions about Colorado's Graduated Driver's License program and other safety issues.
  • Experience the inside of a Colorado State Patrol vehicle.

Open Roads will be held at the following locations:

  • Denver area: Cabela’s, 10670 Cabela Drive, Lone Tree
  • Southeast Colorado: Safety Jam, Pueblo City Park, 800 Goodnight Avenue, Pueblo
  • Western Slope: Cabela’s, Mesa Mall, 2424 U.S. 6 & 50, Grand Junction
  • Northeast Colorado: Car Show, Old Town Fort Collins
  • Southwest Colorado: Wal-Mart, 1155 S. Camino Del Rio, Durango

Attendees also will be able to participate in a random drawing at the Denver and Grand Junction locations, with the winners given the opportunity to tour the inside of the EJMT and Hanging Lake Tunnels in Glenwood Canyon next month.   CDOT also will be collecting names for the drawing on its Facebook page following the Open Roads event.  The winners and tour date will be announced in early June.   

“We want our citizens to have a better idea of what this agency is all about and what we do to make peoples’ lives a bit easier,” said CDOT Executive Director Shailen Bhatt.  “Building and maintaining highways is a big part of what we do but that’s not all.  We run a bus system, have bike trails, lots of safety programs.  We are excited to meet with people and share the long list of what we do to benefit Colorado.  Please come out and spend some time with us on Saturday.”