Rock Slide Cleared As Interstate 70 Reopens At Idaho Springs
IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - After several hours, road crews cleaned up a rock slide at Interstate 70 westbound at Idaho Springs. I-70 reopened about 1:30 p.m.
The slide happened during a major storm that continued to produce impressive snow totals, complicating matters near the Colorado mountain town.
A Colorado Department of Transportation camera at 7:20 a.m. showed cars backed up in the I-70 westbound lanes. All traffic was turned back at exit 248 -- the Beaver Brook/Floyd Hill exit. Approximately an hour later the Colorado State Patrol said the closure will be a "long duration incident."
Residents of Idaho Springs were allowed through the roadblock during the closure. They were being asked to show identification to be allowed through.
The slide was cleared and all lanes were reopened to traffic about six hours after the closure.
In the lower elevations, I-70 is closed east of the Denver metro area. A fatal crash near Avon also led to a separate I-70 closure in the mountains on Tuesday morning.
