CDOT Not Taking Any Chances, Closes I-70 Through Glenwood Canyon After Flash Flood Warning Goes Into Effect
(CBS4) - The threat of more mudslides on Monday evening has led transportation officials in western Colorado to close Interstate 70 in both directions through Glenwood Canyon. The closure was done just before 5 p.m. and it stretches from Dotsero to Rifle.
The interstate has been closed several times recently when Flash Flood Warnings have gone into effect in the area. Monday night's warning was set to be in effect until 6:30 p.m. and I-70 will not be reopened before the warning expires.
Several mudslides have come down the canyon walls and covered the roadway with debris during heavy rain events so far this summer. The most recent debris flows were on Saturday and the I-70 closure that resulted stretched into Sunday as a massive cleanup effort took place.
The likelihood of debris flows in the canyon during heavy rainstorms is a result of the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned up and down the canyon walls last year. The burn scar that resulted has little plant grown in it to keep the soil in the canyonsides from eroding.
If an I-70 closure through the canyon lasts for more than an hour, CDOT recommends drivers take the alternative route. That route is to the north of the canyon and adds approximately 2.5 hours to the drive in either direction.
"It's just not an ideal place for short detours," said CDOT Region 3 Transportation Director Mike Goolsby on Sunday.
If such a recommendation is put into place, the following is the route to take:
WESTBOUND I-70: Motorists coming from the Denver metro area or Interstate 25 can travel westbound on I-70 to Silverthorne, then turn north onto Highway 9. In Kremmling, travelers should turn onto westbound Highway 40 towards Steamboat Springs. After reaching Craig, motorists can return south via Highway 13 towards Rifle. Access to I-70 westbound is at Rifle.
EASTBOUND I-70: Motorists traveling eastbound from Utah or Grand Junction can reach the Denver metro area by traveling north from Rifle on Highway 13 to Craig. From there, head east on Highway 40 through Steamboat Springs. Either take Highway 131 south to Wolcott and onto I-70 from there or continue on Highway 40 through to Kremmling and head south on Highway 9, then join up with eastbound I-70 again at Silverthorne.
CDOT warned drivers this summer who might get stopped in a traffic jam on the interstate due to a closure in Glenwood Canyon to stay in their vehicles. They wrote: "Never hang out in the grassy median located between lanes. If traffic is moving in the opposite direction, the median can be a hazardous area. Emergency response vehicles and heavy equipment may also need the median area to move about and access the emergency scene."
