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Rockfall closes I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado

Posted at 12:43 PM, Feb 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-16 14:54:31-05

GLENWOOD CANYON, Colorado – The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed I-70 through Glenwood Cayon after a rockfall Monday night.

Officials said the slide has damaged the roadway, retaining wall, bridge and guardrail just west of Hanging Lake Tunnel.

A semi truck was caught in the slide but no one was injured.

The detour to get around this will take drivers and extra four hours and add almost 150 miles to your journey.

Information from the Colorado Department of Transportation:

Courtesy: Colorado Dept. of Transportation

Courtesy: Colorado Dept. of Transportation

TRAFFIC THROUGH THE CANYON – The average daily traffic for Glenwood Canyon is around 300 vehicles per hour. Around the evening of the incident the average traffic was about 150 per hour; the volume starts to drop off significantly after 11 p.m. to less than 100 vehicles per hour.

TRAVEL IMPACTS/ALTERNATE ROUTE:  It is undetermined at this point in time when the interstate will reopen. The alternate route for westbound motorists is north on CO 131 at Wolcott to Steamboat Springs, west on US 40 to Craig, then south on CO 13 to Rifle and back to I-70. This is a 203-mile alternate route that will take about three hours and 50 minutes to travel. This detour adds 146 miles and about three hours to a regular trip from Wolcott to Rifle on I-70, which is 67 miles or about 45 minutes.

Check www.cotrip.org for roadway conditions before heading out.