Drone4 Shows Unique View Of Avalanche Caused By CDOT
CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Avalanche crews working to prevent avalanches actually triggered one Wednesday morning.
Heavy snow and wind drifts combined with the mitigation work triggered the avalanche.
The slide put 20 feet of snow over U.S. Highway 40 on Berthoud Pass just after 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Av. control work this a.m. on US 40 resulted in a large slide which covered the road w 20 ft of snow. US 40 closed expect lengthy delay.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) February 8, 2017
Drivers were urged to take a different route because the Colorado Department of Transportation said the slide resulted in a "lengthy delay."
CDOT closed a portion of Interstate 70 at Bakerville just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday for avalanche mitigation work at a well-known slide area near Herman Gulch east of the Eisenhower Tunnel.
All lanes of I-70 were reopened just before 2 p.m.
The Stanley Slide Shute is notorious for sending major snow down on to and across U.S. 40. Avalanche forecasters knew they'd bring some down with mitigation, but they were surprised though by how much.
Highway 40 reopened just after 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Monarch Pass on U.S. 50 was also closed for much of Wednesday for avalanche mitigation work.
There's plenty more of avalanche mitigation work to be done as winter in the high country is far from over.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.