I-70 Reopens In Glenwood Canyon After Flash Flood Threat Passes
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- A stretch of Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon reopened Friday night after it was closed earlier in the day due to Flash Flood threats. The safety closure was put in place by the Colorado Department of Transportation on Friday afternoon.
The closure was both directions between exit 114, west Glenwood and exit 133, Dotsero. Drivers were urged to take an alternate route.
Additional Information From CDOT: In the event that a new mudslide occurs or a significant amount of debris from the mudslide path blocks the interstate, the closure may be extended past the Flash Flood Warning being lifted. Motorists should monitor COtrip.org for road closure information and continue to check the weather forecast before traveling in this area or through the mountains.
Motorists are urged to continue tuning into weather forecasts and checking COtrip.org before traveling through the Canyon this holiday weekend and prepare for closures.
Alternate route for drivers:
- Westbound motorists from the Denver metro area should exit I-70 at Exit 205 (Silverthorne) and travel north on Colorado Highway 9 towards Kremmling. Travelers will continue west on US Highway 40 and then south on CO 13 to complete the alternate route and return to westbound I-70 at Rifle (Exit 90).
- Eastbound travelers can detour using the same route in reverse.
Several mud and debris flows in Glenwood Canyon have happened during heavy rainstorms this summer, but none were as destructive as the ones at the end of July. The mudslides are a result of the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned up and down the canyon walls in 2020.
The interstate was fully closed for the first half of August and the limited reopening has traffic traveling on one lane in each direction. Full repairs to I-70 through Glenwood Canyon are not expected to be completed until Thanksgiving.
