CDOT closes Independence Pass for the winter
Winter closure ensures safety of CDOT personnel and travelers
CDOT PRESS RELEASE
November 17, 2025
The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed Colorado Highway 82 Independence Pass, between Aspen and Twin Lakes, for the 2025/2026 winter season as of Nov. 17.
CDOT originally closed the pass temporarily on Saturday, Nov. 15, due to safety concerns surrounding a winter storm that brought several inches of snow and windy, hazardous conditions on the pass, but then extended the closure into the seasonal closure due to the amount of snowfall and additional storms projected for the region.
The annual safety closure is necessary to keep maintenance equipment operators and the traveling public safe during the winter season. Plowing steep switchbacks on CO 82 on either side of the pass is unsafe during extreme winter conditions that occur on the pass, and sections of the roadway are exposed to significant avalanche hazards.
“While the alternate route for the seasonal closure adds a few hours to drivers’ trips, the safety of the traveling public and our CDOT crews is our priority,” said Jason Smith, CDOT’s Regional Transportation Director for Northwest Colorado. “We keep the pass open as long as conditions allow, but when Mother Nature tells us winter has arrived and it’s time to close the roadway, we listen.”
During the seasonal closure, motorists can reach Aspen from the Denver Metro Area via westbound Interstate 70 to Glenwood Springs, then south on CO 82 to Aspen. Independence Pass closure gates will continue to be closed near Aspen and Twin Lakes until CDOT reopens the pass next spring.
Every year, Independence Pass usually closes in late October or early November for the winter season. Dates for closures in the previous 10 years are:
Independence Pass, a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway maintained by CDOT, is the highest paved state highway in Colorado, crossing the Continental Divide at 12,095 feet. Although paved, the road is narrow and curvy in many sections making driving conditions difficult in poor weather. The route includes steep drop-offs and several stretches that can accommodate only a single vehicle, requiring drivers to use caution and remain alert when encountering oncoming traffic.
The summit of Independence Pass is located 18 miles west of Twin Lakes and 19 miles east of Aspen, crossing the Continental Divide over the Sawatch Range. The pass spans 32 miles of mountainous terrain, winding through the San Isabel National Forest on the east and White River National Forest on the west side of the Divide.
During the winter months, heavy snowfall at the highest elevations of the pass makes it impossible to travel. Weather permitting, and after crews have evaluated the roadway for safety, CDOT typically reopens the pass the week prior to the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
CO 82 over Independence Pass was closed Nov. 15 for a safety closure due to an impending winter storm which dropped several inches of snow and saw windy, hazardous conditions in locations across the pass. Upon inspection of the roadway Nov. 17, CDOT leadership, in collaboration with CAIC forecasters, decided to close the pass for the winter season.