I-70 is closed between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum.
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As a result of the slide, travelers who need to get around that section of Interstate 70 will be subjected to a four-hour detour.
The extended closure went into effect overnight after the second of the two slides.
“There was a semi-truck caught in the slide last night and disabled; no injuries were reported”.
CDOT will use a helicopter to view the rock-slide area about 8 miles east of Glenwood Springs near Hanging Lake Tunnel. Traffic was snarled in the eastbound direction for several hours due to a crash at Vail Pass.
It’s unlikely that the highway will be reopened on Tuesday, but beyond that authorities are not estimating how long the highway will be closed, Ford said.
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The rocks fell from very high in the canyon, and CDOT made a decision to close the road for the night rather than putting workers in harm’s way trying to clear I-70 at night, Trulove said. This is a 203-mile alternate route that will take about three hours and 50 minutes to travel. Earlier that day, a large rock fall incident occurred in the Canyon, resulting in a lane closure. Warmer temperatures this February has sped up the process, she said. Trulove said CDOT will have to wait until the “hot batch asphalt” plants start operating in the spring.
