No or Minimal Action I-70 Expansion Alternatives:

1. No Action - Continue only with highway improvements already in construction or planned (cost of $532 million).

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2010 (trend) and maybe up to 2020 (optimistic).

2. Minimal Action - Modify travel behavior using demand management, curve improvements, peak spreading incentives, metering, etc.

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2015 and maybe up to 2025.

Mass Transit I-70 Expansion Alternatives:

3. Rail with Intermountain Connection - Construct a rail system adjacent to I-70 from Denver to Vail and use existing rail line from Vail to Eagle County Airport.

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2065.

4. Advanced Guideway System (Monorail) - Construct double-track monorail from Denver to Eagle County Airport.

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2065.

5. Dual-Mode Bus in Guideway (CDOT Preferred Option) - Construct bi-directional guideway from Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel and one-directional guideway east from Silverthorne to the Tunnel. Buses use electric power in guideways, diesel power outside guideways, and can leave guideways to take passengers to destinations.

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2055.

6. Diesel Bus in Guideway (CDOT Preferred Option) - Same as dual-mode system except buses use diesel at all times.

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2055.

Highway Expansion Alternatives:

7. Add 2 Lanes at 55 mph Speed (CDOT Preferred Option)

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2050.

8. Add 2 Lanes at 65 mph Speed (CDOT Preferred Option)

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2050.

9. Add 2 Reversible or HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) or HOT (high-occupancy toll) Lanes (CDOT Preferred Option)

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2050.

Combination Alternatives:

10. Add 2 Lanes and Preserve Corridor for Mass Transit such as Monorail, Bus or Rail (CDOT Preferred Option)

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2080 (with Bus) or 2090 (with Rail/Monorail).

11. Add 2 Lanes But Do Not Preclude Future Mass Transit Additions

Capacity: Will handle traffic until 2030 and maybe up to 2080 (with Bus) or 2090 (with Rail/Monorail).

NOTES:

CDOT rates an Alternative "Preferred" if cost to build is less than $4 billion and if it will have capacity to handle traffic flow in 2025.

Costs for Alternatives #2-6 include $532 million in already scheduled highway improvements, and #7-11 include $673 million in minimal action improvements.

Alternative descriptions are based on information provided by CDOT in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) published Dec. 10, 2004.