The Colorado Department of Transportation and Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office will be closing I-70 eastbound at the base of Floyd Hill during the morning hours when the intense sunshine can blind drivers.
The sheriff’s department said the closures typically take place between 6:30 a.m.-8 a.m. and last for about an hour on sunny days through February.
The closure was implemented annually a few years ago as a result of frequent, multiple crashes on Floyd Hill as the sun rose over the hilltop and blinded drivers, according to Clear Creek County Sheriff Matt Harris.
“As the weeks pass and the days grow longer, the closure will begin a little earlier and will still last for about an hour,” Harris said. “In addition to accident frequency, factors that determined the closure are speed, traffic volume, distance the sun glare severely impacts sight and duration that the sun’s position causes a dangerous glare.”
A detour is in place which takes eastbound drivers onto Highway 6 East to Highway 40 East back to I-70 East. The detour adds less than 1 mile and, with the new roundabout at Homestead Road, takes only a few additional minutes, according to the sheriff’s department.
CDOT recommends drivers leave either earlier or later than normal to avoid the closure and detours.
If motorists have questions about the frequent closures, CDOT urges them to visit COtrip.org.