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Crews clear 5,720 tons of debris from I-70 in Glenwood Canyon; still no estimate for reopening

By August 9, 2021 | updated 4 years ago

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i-70 cleared

Debris is cleared from westbound Interstate 70 Glenwood Canyon at Mile Point 123.5 on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.

Photo courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation

Cleanup efforts on Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon picked up over the weekend as crews hauled off nearly 6,000 tons of debris after the roadway was covered by multiple mudslides last month.

The Colorado Department of Transportation announced the progress Monday. There is still no reopening date for the highway, which closed on July 29 after weeks of sporadic closures and openings because of other mudslides.

The debris was cleared in 440 truckloads on Saturday and Sunday, with each load equaling 13 tons, the department said.

West of Hanging Lake Tunnel, crews completely uncovered the roadway at eastbound Blue Gulch. With debris gone in the area, engineers will begin to assess the damage to the roadway to determine what needs to be done before it can reopen, the department said.

“This is one of the most critical areas for the inspection/engineering team to inspect the potential damage,” the department said in a release. “That area measures approximately 120 feet wide on the north side/passing lane and narrows up to approximately 70 feet on the south side/driving lane.”

On the east side of the tunnel, crews have cleared the eastbound lanes at mile marker 124.3 for inspection and continue to work on clearing the roadway from Hanging Lake Tunnel to Bair Ranch.

On Monday, crews will continue to clear debris from the roadway on the east side of the tunnel and work on the west side to clean drainages and wash the roadways, the department said.

Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that he issued a disaster declaration for Glenwood Canyon, saying it could take days or weeks for I-70 to reopen depending on the extent of damage.

Governor issues disaster declarations for Glenwood Canyon

I-70 is closed from Exit 116 at Glenwood Springs to Exit 133 at Dotsero.

Several detours are available, including Interstate 80 for truck drivers leaving the state. The main detour is for drivers going westbound to exit Colorado 9 in Silverthorne, go north to U.S. 40 and over Rabbit Ears Pass to Steamboat Springs, and then west to Colorado 13, which reenters I-70 at Rifle. Drivers going eastbound should reverse the detour.

Planning to head west this weekend? With I-70 still closed through Glenwood Canyon, these routes are your best options

A south detour, using U.S. 50 from Grand Junction, goes through Montrose and Gunnison, linking with U.S. 285 back into Denver. The state has postponed a road project between Montrose and Gunnison while the detour is needed.

Hannah Metzger hannah.metzger@gazette.com

Reporter

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