▁people ▁have ▁asked ▁" did ▁we ▁think ▁Baltimore ans ▁were ▁so ▁des perate ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁C ove ▁Fort ▁that ▁we ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁pay ▁$ 4 ▁billion ▁to ▁get ▁them ▁there ?" ▁However , ▁a ▁resident ▁engineer ▁with ▁the ▁US D OT ▁has ▁called ▁the ▁extension ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁" c rown ▁j ew els " ▁of ▁the ▁Inter state ▁Highway ▁System . ▁In ▁Colorado , ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁helped ▁un ite ▁the ▁state , ▁despite ▁the ▁two ▁hal ves ▁being ▁separated ▁by ▁the ▁form id able ▁Rock y ▁Mountains . ▁The ▁Eisen h ower ▁T unnel ▁alone ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁saving ▁up ▁to ▁an ▁hour ▁from ▁the ▁drive ▁across ▁the ▁state . ▁Prior ▁to ▁I - 7 0 ' s ▁construction , ▁the ▁highway ▁through ▁Glen wood ▁C any on ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dangerous ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁With ▁the ▁improvements , ▁the ▁accident ▁rate ▁has ▁dropped ▁ 4 0 % ▁even ▁though ▁traffic ▁through ▁the ▁can y on ▁has ▁substantial ly ▁increased . ▁The ▁Colorado ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ▁is ▁considering ▁the ▁nom ination ▁of ▁various ▁port ions ▁of ▁I - 7 0 ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁will ▁not ▁qual ify ▁as ▁historical ▁for ▁several ▁dec ades . ▁ ▁The ▁fre ew ay ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁en han cing ▁Colorado ' s ▁ski ▁industry . ▁The ▁ski ▁resort ▁town ▁of ▁V ail ▁did ▁not ▁exist ▁until ▁I - 7 0 ▁began ▁construction , ▁with ▁developers ▁working