Photo by Liz Copan / Summit Daily archives A study conducted by the Colorado Department of Transportation is providing new insights into the feasibility of allowing hazardous materials to be transported through the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels. In April 2019, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law requiring CDOT to conduct a study to assess under what circumstances hazmat vehicles should be allowed inside the tunnels, weigh the potential benefits and risks of moving the vehicles off Loveland Pass and mitigate any risks identified. “I think everybody brings their own viewpoints to the table, and the goal of this study was to try and look at the risks objectively and take some of the emotion out of it on both sides,” CDOT Chief Engineer Steve Harelson said. “Each of the interest groups have very convincing arguments as to the wisdom of their viewpoints. In the trucking industry, running trucks over Loveland Pass in the teeth of a winter storm is scary, and it’s risky for those drivers. There are some environmental risks that perhaps are undersold a little bit.