Mudslide closes Colorado mountain highway for 8 hours

Mudslide closes Colorado mountain highway for 8 hours

Both directions of traffic on State Highway 82 near Carbondale were closed Sunday morning due to a mudslide. 

The slide was caused by a broken irrigation line, according to a Cardondale Fire Protection District's social media post. The mud traveled about 300 feet downhill near the highway's intersection with Catherine Store Road and Garfield County Road 100, located approximately mid-way between Carbondale and El Jebel.

A passenger vehicle sits in the debris field of a mudslide east of Carbondale which forced the closure of Colorado Highway 82 on Sunday morning. The minivan appeared to have mud and dirt up to its axles.  Carbondale Fire District/X

The slide covered all lanes of traffic. One photo from the fire department's post showed a passenger vehicle, most likely a minivan, stalled in the middle of the slide's debris field.

There were no reports of injuries, and the highway was re-opened after 4 p.m., about eight hours after it was closed. 

Carbondale Fire District/X

During the closure, traffic was diverted around the closure through downtown Carbondale along County Road 100, Main Street and County Road 106. 

The hill above the slide is a man-made berm for a farm field, according to a fire department employee. 

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