I-70 On Track To Reopen 1 Lane In Each Direction Through Glenwood Canyon On Saturday
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The Colorado Department of Transportation said that crews are on track to get traffic moving again through Glenwood Canyon on Saturday. One lane in each direction is set to reopen to traffic on Saturday afternoon.
During a news conference on Friday afternoon, CDOT said that traffic will be reduced to 35 mph through the cleanup zone while crews continue to remove debris from the area where devastating mudslides hit more than two weeks ago.
The Blue Gulch area at milemarker 123.5 has the most damage with what Gov. Jared Polis this week called a "pothole from hell." Crews hauled out more than 200 loads of debris on Wednesday alone. On Thursday they worked on geotextile and road base into place.
West of Hanging Lake tunnel, crews finished putting 156 super sacks into place to act as temporary rockfall protection. Super sacks are bags of bedding sand and each weighs 3,000 pounds. They also diverted Blue Creek to the west and the next drain.
The current plan is to have one I-70 lane in each direction open through the canyon Saturday afternoon with complete repairs made by Thanksgiving. The governor did warn there will be brief closures at times to allow crews to work. A closure will also be in place when a flash flood warning has been issued for the area.
Both the No Name Rest Area and the Shoshone Rest Area will reopen when the interstate reopens. CDOT did say the Grizzly Creek Rest Area will not open immediately; it does not have electricity because Xcel Energy moved its generator to Shoshone Dam. The Hanging Lake Rest Area will be closed until the U.S. Forest Service clears the trail. CDOT is using the Bair Rest Area for emergency mobilization so it will also stay closed.
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