Independence Pass closes for winter season – Denver Gazette

Independence Pass closes for winter season  Denver Gazette

CDOT closed CO 82 over Independence Pass Nov. 3 for the 2026-27 winter after snow drifts and storms made it unsafe for crews and motorists. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed Colorado Highway 82 over Independence Pass between Aspen and Twin Lakes on Tuesday for the 2026-2027 winter season, officials said. The seasonal closure follows a temporary shutdown on Saturday due to safety concerns from a winter storm that brought several inches of snow and windy conditions. Officials extended the closure because of the amount of snowfall and additional storms projected for the region. The current highway was built in 1927 and paved in 1967, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

An earlier toll road over the pass, then known as Hunter Pass, was completed in 1881. Motorists traveling to Aspen from the Denver metro area must use westbound Interstate 70 to Glenwood Springs, then south on CO 82 to Aspen. The closure gates near Aspen and Twin Lakes will remain closed until the department reopens the pass next spring, typically around the Memorial Day holiday weekend, weather permitting. “This morning our maintenance teams conducted an assessment of Highway 82 at Independence Pass and found significant snow drifts blocking the roadway, making it hazardous for travel,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Jason Smith in a release. “Looking at those