GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of Interstate 70 have reopened following a large rockslide in Glenwood Canyon, according to a tweet from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) in Eagle.
Traffic is moving in both directions, however, drivers can expect intermittent delays in the area into Wednesday. Some boulders, which fell in the right westbound lane, are too large to move and require boulder busting, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Rockfall mitigation crews who specialize in rock blasting are working to downsize and break up at least 10 large boulders to more easily move them. Blasting was started Tuesday afternoon and should be completed Wednesday. Traffic will be held when blasting occurs.
The highway was closed in both directions after the slide happened around 7 a.m. Tuesday near mile marker 122, about five miles east of Glenwood Springs.
No vehicles were caught in the slide and no injuries were reported, according to CDOT.
All eastbound lanes opened just before 11 a.m. after crews repaired several potholes, according to CDOT. Just before noon, one westbound lane opened. There's no word on when the westbound lanes might fully reopen.
Crews used heavy equipment to remove several small rocks and much larger ones that were about five feet by five feet in size, CDOT said. Larger boulders, some the size of SUVs, need to be drilled and blasted into smaller pieces so they could be cleared.
Cottonwood Pass is closed and cannot be used as a detour. CSP said drivers must take Highway 131 to Highway 40 over to Highway 13.
The Grizzly Creek rest area, located at mile marker 121, is closed until electrical power can be restored to the site. The rest area lost power when the rock slide occurred.
In March, a small rock slide led to the full closure of eastbound I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. CDOT said no cars were involved in this rockslide, which happened between Hanging Lake and Bair Ranch.
And in February, another slide also forced the closure of the highway for hours.
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