GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR)– Eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon were closed for hours Thursday, as crews worked to untangle a flipped-over truck from the shoulder of the mountain highway.
Colorado State Patrol said the road would likely be closed for 6-8 hours. According to CSP, the crash call came in at 9:22 a.m. The driver reportedly went over the median and had to be extricated over the course of an hour. The driver’s injuries are considered to be non-life-threatening and he was taken to a local hospital.
CDOT said a westbound lane is open through the canyon as crews continue to clean up the scene. Eastbound is closed at Exit 116, Glenwood Springs.
What alternate routes can I take to avoid Glenwood Canyon?
- Westbound I-70: Westbound motorists from the Denver metro area can travel north around the closure via US Highway 40, Colorado Highway 9 or Colorado Highway 131. Travelers can then 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). Motorists should anticipate heavy traffic at the Silverthorne interchange (exit 205) due to construction in the area.
- Eastbound I-70: A traffic control point is in place at eastbound West Rifle (exit 87) to guide motorists to the northern alternate route. Visitors and local traffic traveling eastbound on I-70 to Glenwood Springs and destinations in the Roaring Fork Valley will have access to eastbound I-70 in order to reach their destination.
Dangerous detours to avoid when I-70 is closed through Glenwood Canyon
CDOT discourages travelers from taking certain detours that could show up on navigation apps but could put travelers in danger.
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“We strongly discourage travelers from using highways south of I-70 for an alternate route, due to extensive construction closures,” CDOT has said. “We also ask that motorists not use Cottonwood Pass Road (in Eagle/Garfield counties), Hagerman Pass, Eagle/Thomasville Road or other county or forest service roads in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties as a detour. These roads are not built for heavy traffic or commercial oversize vehicles. Many of these four-wheel-drive roads also do not have cell phone coverage.”
CDOT urges travelers to use COtrip.org or CDOT’s mobile application to choose the best route to reach their final destination.