On Thursday morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced that I-70 has reopened following flash flooding that brought a debris flow onto the road between New Castle and Silt in western Colorado’s Garfield County.

Around 7 p.m. on July 20, torrential rain and hail “overwhelmed the drought-stricken ground which was unable to absorb the high volume of water in the short period of heavy rains,” according to CDOT. As a result, “excessive water flooded the ground, irrigation ditches, and roadway drainages.”

The drainages were covered by two to four feet of mud, rocks, logs, and other debris, which ultimately brought mud, water, and debris onto a stretch of interstate that measured at more than 300 yards. The mud and debris was approximately seven feet deep at the lowest point of the road.

The road was impassable for an extended period of time with travelers detoured onto US 6. By July 22 around 6 a.m. one eastbound lane was opened and by 4:30 p.m. on the same day, one westbound lane was open. Through overnight work, two lanes were opened in both directions by 4:30 a.m. on July 23.

“This was a massive undertaking that required a high level of coordination and movement of people, equipment and material in a short period of time,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “The ability to open the interstate to move goods, services and everyday commuters across the I-70 corridor is an absolute priority for us and I’m proud of the work the team did here.”

Work to remove debris in the area is set to continue, so travelers should expect road crews to be present and have been asked to follow posted speed reductions while continuing with caution.

“This clean up project was not just as simple as pulling the drain plug from your bathtub,” said Regional Transportation Director Jason Smith. “Moving a lake’s worth of water and tons of debris took significant work. I’m proud of the diligence the team had by first assessing the issues, then creating the strategy to get the roadway open and for their non-stop effort.”

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)