Expect Delays This Weekend on CO I-70 Due to Repairs and Weather
Do your weekend plans include traveling I-70 through Glenwood Canyon? If so, plan ahead and be ready for heavy traffic and delays.
The Colorado Department of Transportation issued a statement today (Friday, August 28) advising motorists to "Plan Ahead." Travelers can expect to encounter safety closures due to continuing repairs and weather impacts.
According to CDOT, the forecast includes not only rain but the potential for heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30. Given the scarring from the Grizzly Creek Fire, there are concerns the heavy rain could result in mudslides, debris flow, and falling rocks on I-70 through Glenwood Canyon.
Here's the weather outlook for the weekend for the Glenwood Springs region courtesy of the National Weather Service.
As it stands, there are travel restrictions in place regarding oversized loads. According to www.cotrip.org, no loads over 12' wide are allowed on I-70 both westbound and eastbound, from Glenwood Springs to Dotsero, mile markers 116 to 133. This restriction is in effect twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, until October 2020.
CDOT offered this statement from their "Projects" page at www.cdot.gov:
Recovery from the Grizzly Creek Fire will require additional traffic impacts in Glenwood Canyon to repair and replace damaged infrastructure, which includes several Xcel transmission power lines, rockfall netting, burn damage from fallen trees, concrete guardrail, and concrete damage. CDOT is working closely with the Grizzly Creek Incident Management Team and Xcel Energy to coordinate and minimize traffic impacts to I-70 in Glenwood Canyon.
If your plans for the weekend of August 29 and 30, 2020, involve I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, stay in touch with CDOT at COtrip.org for frequent updates. Before heading out, check your map for potential alternate routes.