CDOT: I-70 To Remain Closed Through Glenwood Canyon Due To Possibility Of Flash Flooding

FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: I-70 Reopens Through Glenwood Canyon In Western Colorado After Flood Threat Moves Away

(CBS) - Interstate 70 will remain closed through Glenwood Canyon on Thursday as long as the threat of flash flooding remains. Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation closed the interstate on Wednesday afternoon and the closure has remained in effect since then.

The interstate was closed for the first two weeks of August after mudslides that came down the canyonside late last month caused heavy damage to the roadway. The interstate was reopened last Saturday with one lane in each direction getting through at slower speeds.

CDOT said in a news release on Thursday that the current closure remains in place due to "unusually high uncertainty with the forecast." At this point, no mudslides have been reported late Wednesday or early Thursday, although there has been heavy rain. Some areas have gotten more than an inch. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect.

The interstate is closed in both directions from Dotsero to Glenwood Springs. Drivers are encouraged to take the detour which winds up to the north of the area and adds more than 2 hours to the drive in each direction.

Here's CDOT's recommended northern alternate route:

- Westbound motorists from the Denver metro area should exit I-70 at Exit 205 (Silverthorne) and travel north on Colorado Highway 9 towards Kremmling. Travelers will continue west on US Highway 40 and then south on CO 13 to complete the alternate route and return to westbound I-70 at Rifle (Exit 90).
- Eastbound travelers can detour using the same route in reverse.

The full repairs to I-70 through Glenwood Canyon are not expected to be completed until Thanksgiving.

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.