Portion of Highway 7 back open after large rock slide near Allenspark

A portion of Highway 7 reopened on Sunday after last week's large rock slide near Allenspark. The slide completely blocked the highway south of Estes Park. 

Allenspark Fire Protection District posted photos of the finished product on Sunday, officially announcing the highway reopening after nine days of closure. 

The Colorado Department of Transportation provided an update Friday morning, advising the closure of CO 7 from Lyons to Allenspark would remain closed through until at least the middle of next week. 

Crews had cleared more than 90% of the rocks on the road but geo technical experts discovered a deeper fracture area on the mountain, which caused extended delays. 

"Understanding the geology of rock formations is a true science. Predicting when failures occur requires modern technology to measure movement as well as visual inspection. Once the massive rocks were cleared away from the initial slide area, additional fracture lines were exposed," said regional transportation director Heather Paddock.