Both directions of I-70 halted for vehicle fire inside tunnel

The Colorado Department of Transportation stopped all traffic from entering the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel shortly after 1 p.m. Monday. 

The Colorado State Patrol reported the closure is due to a vehicle fire in the westbound bore. 

Eastbound traffic was re-opened just after 2 p.m. The westbound lanes were re-opened at 3:45 after CDOT personnel inspected the tunnel and roadway for potential damage.  

At the beginning of the highway's closure, CDOT camera at the eastern entrance showed emergency vehicles blocking westbound traffic and thin smoke emanating from the tunnel's ventilation system. All westbound traffic was seen being directed back into the eastbound lanes away from the tunnel. CSP confirmed those travelers were being sent over Loveland Pass via Highway 6. 

The occupants of the van which caught fire inside the tunnel's westbound bore were uninjured, the state patrol stated. 

The number of people inside the van was not yet available, nor was the nature or cause of the fire.