 The highway departs the Colorado River near Dotsero , the name given to the railroad separation for the two primary mountain crossings , the original via Tennessee Pass / Royal Gorge and the newer and shorter Moffat Tunnel route . I @-@ 70 uses a separate route between the two rail corridors . From this junction I @-@ 70 follows the Eagle River toward Vail Pass , at an elevation of 10 @,@ 666 feet ( 3 @,@ 251 m ) . In this canyon I @-@ 70 reaches the western terminus of U.S. Highway 24 , which meanders through the Rockies before rejoining I @-@ 70 . US 24 is known as the Highway of the Fourteeners , from the concentration of mountains exceeding 14 @,@ 000 feet ( 4 @,@ 300 m ) along the highway corridor . Along the ascent , I @-@ 70 serves the ski resort town of Vail and the ski areas of Beaver Creek Resort , Vail Ski Resort and Copper Mountain . 
