I-70 Reopens, Truck Driver On Driving In Blizzard: 'Like Holding Onto A Greased Pig'
BURLINGTON, Colo. (CBS4) - All lanes of Interstate 70 were closed from the Kansas border east to E-470 outside Denver on Tuesday morning but both directions of the highway reopened from E-470 to Burlington just after 3 p.m.
I-70 from Burlington to the Kansas border remained closed.
Both directions of the more than 150-mile stretch from Burlington to Denver were closed because of blowing snow and adverse driving conditions.
About 100 semi drivers had been waiting in Limon for the interstate to reopen where wind gusts were measured at more than 50 mph.
"It's just bad. You can't hold the truck in the road, it's just ice everywhere. I've seen a couple of flip-overs and that's it," said truck driver Leroy Gunter.
Strong winds created huge snow drifts on the highway and true white-out conditions. Some truckers said just getting off the highway was a tremendous fight.
"The last couple hours were a nightmare. I spend more time shoveling my truck than I did driving it," a trucker said. "I'm not wild about chains and I'm just not go anywhere until the snow melts away, and that might not be until next spring."
CBS4's Stan Bush asked another trucker what if feels like to drive on those conditions.
"Kind of like holding onto a greased pig," he replied.
There were several major closures on interstates around Colorado overnight Monday into Tuesday because of the blizzard conditions and snowstorm.
While Denver only got light snow, the snow has been heavier to the east and south of the Denver metro area.
Southbound lanes of Interstate 25 were closed from Walsenburg to the New Mexico border on Tuesday morning because of adverse driving conditions. Northbound lanes were closed from Raton Pass in New Mexico to Trinidad.