Last week, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce submitted formal comments on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s proposed 2050 Statewide Transportation Plan. For Western Colorado businesses, this plan is not just a roadmap for infrastructure—it is a roadmap for economic stability, competitiveness, and growth.
Our comments made clear that the current funding model leaves too many unanswered questions. Revenues have not kept pace with inflation, and there is no clear plan to close the growing gap. At the same time, funding formulas heavily weighted toward population centers overlook the significant responsibility rural counties like Mesa carry in maintaining hundreds of lane miles that connect our communities and industries to statewide and national markets.
Nowhere is this more evident than along I-70 through Glenwood Canyon. Each closure on this corridor costs the state an estimated $2 million per hour. For Western Colorado, those closures stall shipments, deter visitors, and disrupt nearly every industry. A single stretch of highway should not be able to grind our statewide economy to a halt—but without stronger investment and resiliency planning, that remains our reality.
We are not alone in sounding this alarm. Leaders and organizations from across Colorado are raising their voices alongside ours, including Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel, former El Paso County Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez, the American Concrete Pavement Association of Colorado/Wyoming, Arnusch Farms, Associated General Contractors, the Colorado Contractors Association, the Colorado Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, Club20, and the Industrial Property Owners Consortium. From agriculture to construction, chambers to property owners, there is a shared recognition: Colorado cannot build a competitive future on crumbling roads.
The 2050 Statewide Transportation Plan must address three critical issues: equitable funding that reflects lane miles and economic impact, not just population; inflationary adjustments that ensure revenues keep pace with rising costs; and a clear strategy to close the funding gap that has left Colorado’s rural highways ranked among the worst in the nation.
Our Chamber, like others across the state, will continue to advocate for strong, reliable transportation infrastructure because it is the backbone of business. Western Colorado’s employers are ready to grow, innovate, and compete—but that requires a transportation system that works. We urge CDOT to take these comments seriously and ensure that the 2050 plan delivers a future where all corners of Colorado can thrive.