© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

I-70 Reopens After Rockslide In Glenwood Canyon

Update 9:30 p.m.

Interstate 70 in western Colorado is back open after a rock slide sent boulders the size of big SUVs tumbling down on part of the highway.

State transportation officials opened both eastbound lanes in Glenwood Canyon at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, and one westbound lane was opened a couple of hours later.

The original story continues below:

A stretch of Interstate 70 is closed in western Colorado because of a rock slide, forcing drivers to make long detours to travel east or west.

The rockslide happened early Tuesday in Glenwood Canyon and the full extent of the damage isn't known yet.

Photos from the Colorado Department of Transportation showed boulders and smaller rocks on the highway and a damaged guardrail. Department spokeswoman Tracy Trulove told the Glenwood Springs Post Independent that no vehicles were caught in the slide and no one was injured.

The scenic and rugged canyon, which the Colorado River runs through, is prone to rockslides. A large slide in February 2016 fully closed the highway for nearly a week.

Copyright 2019 Associated Press. All rights reserved.