Rock Slide Cleared As Interstate 70 Reopens At Idaho Springs
IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - After several hours, road crews cleaned up a rock slide at Interstate 70 westbound at Idaho Springs. I-70 reopened about 1:30 p.m.
I-70 WB: Road open at Exit 248 - Beaver Brook; Floyd Hill. Following rock slide. https://t.co/8NKnL7hzUb
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) November 26, 2019
The slide happened during a major storm that continued to produce impressive snow totals, complicating matters near the Colorado mountain town.
I-70 IS OPEN
— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) November 26, 2019
All clear from Golden to the Eisenhower Tunnel.
I-70 Remains Closed - Westbound from Beaver Brook (248) through Dumont (235) due to rockslide. No alternate routes at this time. No access from US 6 Clear Creek Canyon.@ColoradoDOT making good progress, but a tremendous amount of work remains to be done. S1
— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) November 26, 2019
I-70 WB remains closed at 248 - Beaver Brook. Crews are on scene to begin assessment of slope conditions, to be sure it is safe for crews. Will need continued patience during the extended closure. https://t.co/7nxlFtxTDo
— Clear Creek County OEM (@ClearCreekOEM) November 26, 2019
A Colorado Department of Transportation camera at 7:20 a.m. showed cars backed up in the I-70 westbound lanes. All traffic was turned back at exit 248 -- the Beaver Brook/Floyd Hill exit. Approximately an hour later the Colorado State Patrol said the closure will be a "long duration incident."
WB INTERSTATE 70
— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) November 26, 2019
Rock slide across highway near Idaho Springs. All traffic being turned back to Denver at Exit 248 - Beaver Brook / Floyd Hill.
No good alternate routes. No westbound access from US 6 - Clear Creek Canyon either.
Just Stay Home. S1 pic.twitter.com/EEGcrZ2GKC
Residents of Idaho Springs were allowed through the roadblock during the closure. They were being asked to show identification to be allowed through.
The westbound I-70 closure is going to be a long duration incident. We are going to allow Idaho Springs residents through. Have your ID ready. S1 pic.twitter.com/3OByTlnvkR
— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) November 26, 2019
The slide was cleared and all lanes were reopened to traffic about six hours after the closure.
I-70 WB: Safety closure at Exit 248 - Beaver Brook; Floyd Hill. Due to major rock slide. Extended closure. Alternate route West use US 285. https://t.co/8NKnL7hzUb
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT) November 26, 2019
In the lower elevations, I-70 is closed east of the Denver metro area. A fatal crash near Avon also led to a separate I-70 closure in the mountains on Tuesday morning.