GoI70

Update: Geologists who inspected the canyon wall above the rockfall have determined that mitigation is needed before I-70 can be opened. The extent of the work required and the schedule will be determined Tuesday morning. Meanwhile CDOT crews working below the unstable rock managed to break up about half of the 20 boulders that litter the roadway. This is likely to take some time.

Original Post: Around midnight, the mountain came tumbling down and landed smack on the highway along one of the steepest stretches of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. The highway is closed in both directions as the CDOT engineers clear the boulders from the roadway and assess the damage to the highway. According to CDOT, “I-70 is not expected to open anytime soon.”

That’s not a very specific timeline but take a look at the pictures from the scene. The boulders punched at least one hole in the roadway, smashed guard rails and median barriers in a area where the elevated highway is tight against the canyon walls. It will take some time to move the rock and fix the multiple  sections of damaged roadway. In 2004, a similar rock slide kept the road completely closed for more than 24 hours; repairs took several months. In that slide, only the east side of the highway was damaged. Last night, both sides took a hit.

CDOT estimates that the largest of the 20 boulders is “66 tons.” So we will all wait a while until they can figure out what’s under it and what it takes to patch multiple “holes and dips” in the roadway. The westbound lane being the closest to the mountain took the hardest hit with one hole measuring 20 by 10 feet. The eastbound lane has a hole measuring 6 by 6 feet. Both lanes have multiple “dips” and areas that have rock embedded in the road.

Meanwhile, up above the road there is still a mountain of rock which needs to be inspected before anyone goes sailing down the highway. CDOT is sending several geologists up to take a look but it is a 2 hour hike up the cliff side to the area that broke away.

So if you are headed to Utah for an early spring break or coming home to Denver from Grand Junction you should plan on taking some extra time for your trip. The recommended detour headed west is to take US40 from Empire Junction to Steamboat and on to Craig, then SH13 through Meeker to rejoin I-70 at Rifle. (Or, going east, north on SH13 at Rifle to US40 at Craig then to Empire Junction and I-70.) According to Google search, this adds 105 miles and more than 3 hours to the trip. It is a beautiful ride but these are two lane mountain highways that go slowly through a series of small towns and have many tight turns and steep hills without passing lanes. Count on taking your time or book a seat on a train or plane.

For a while on Monday CDOT was telling people they could head south along US50, 160 and 285, especially if they were headed to a southern destination. Then they closed Monarch Pass on US50 due to heavy weather and multiple accidents. This is a good route if the weather is good and it is a bit shorter. But, it was snowing down south Monday; it is clear in the north. A traveler would be well advised to check the weather anytime before they set out across this southern route. Sometimes it is just better to wait it out, folks.