Highway 7 will remain closed from Lyons to Allenspark through Friday after rock slide

A portion of Highway 7 will remain closed through June 23 after a large rock slide last week near Allenspark. The slide has completely blocked the highway south of Estes Park. 

The Colorado Department of Transportation provided an update on Tuesday morning that the closure of CO 7 from Lyons to Allenspark will remain closed through Friday. 

Crews have been blasting boulders the size of fire trucks since the slide on June 14. They have removed 100 truck loads of rock and debris from the area. 

"We realize the inconvenience this has caused for the residents of the canyon," said Regional Transportation Director Heather Paddock in a statement. "But this slide has loosened a lot more rock in this area and we need to get all of that down so it is safe for the traveling public when we reopen.

"One of the hardest parts for residents is planning for the longer detours with their regular commutes, so we wanted to give this Friday as our best estimate for when the road will be open, knowing that we have a few days of rain in the forecast this week as well." 

Drivers are urged to take an alternate route.