Reopening Of I-70 In Western Colorado Great News For Denver Businesses That Rely On Interstate For Transport Of Goods
(CBS4) - The Colorado Department of Transportation says crews have gotten traffic moving again through Glenwood Canyon, and that's great news for business owners who rely on Interstate 70 to transport goods. They told CBS4 they're elated that truck drivers can now avoid the hours-long detour that had been in place for more than two weeks due to destructive mudslides.
Heinz Silz, owner of Heinie's Market in Wheat Ridge, drives thousands of miles every year to get tree-ripe produce.
With I-70 closed, his trips to the Western Slope for peaches and other items have become fewer, longer and more expensive.
"There's two ways to go around and we've tried them both. Once you're loaded, it turns into a 10-hour grind to getting home," said Silz.
"We've got to get it done. We have to. Or this place won't make it."
Why Are There Mudslides In Glenwood Canyon In 2021?
Several mud and debris flows in Glenwood Canyon have happened during heavy rainstorms this summer, but none were as destructive as the ones at the end of July. The mudslides are a result of the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned up and down the canyon walls in 2020.
The 32,631 acre fire left a burn scar on the blackened canyonside that has little plant grown in it to keep the soil from eroding when heavy rainstorms pass through.