Glenwood Canyon Tunnel Aesthetic Design

As a growing and increasingly mobile population demands the construction of new transportation facilities, often in environmentally sensitive areas, the significance of quality transportation aesthetics cannot be overemphasized. Given the associated costs, impact, and permanence of these facilities, it is imperative that citizen advisory groups, public agencies, and design professionals work together in striving to improve the design and construction of transportation facilities. The Glenwood Canyon Tunnel in western Colorado is testimonial to the successful corroboration of these groups. Designed by Parsons Brinckerhoff and completed in 1993, the Glenwood Canyon Tunnel transports Interstate 70 traffic through one of the most scenic areas in the United States while preserving its natural features, vistas, and associated recreational opportunities. Architectural aesthetics and environmental concerns were driving forces in the design of the tunnel, in addition to life safety, tunnel ventilation, and surveillance. This study elaborates on the emphasis given to aesthetics and environmental concerns in the design of the tunnel, the Shoshone and amphitheater portals, and the Cinnamon Creek ventilation and control complex, as well as on the coordinated efforts of all those involved in making the Glenwood Canyon Tunnel state of the art and an aesthetically pleasing reality that has gained recognition throughout the United States.