Sinkhole Closes 1 Lane Of I-70 Until Friday

July 19, 2012 5:06 PM

Coper4 flew over a sinkhole in the left lane of I-70 near the Central City Parkway. (credit: CBS)

Filed under

CENTRAL CITY, Colo. (CBS4)- A sinkhole on Interstate 70 just east of the Twin Tunnels will keep the left eastbound lane closed overnight while crews repair the hole.

Copter 4 flew over the sinkhole Thursday afternoon and crews were working on repairs.

The sinkhole is 14 feet wide and about 15 feet deep. Traffic backups extended 10 miles to Empire Thursday afternoon.

Work currently is under way to shift traffic to the right towards the shoulder, allowing a second lane of eastbound I-70 to open.

Later this evening, CDOT will again reduce I-70 to a single lane through the area overnight, allowing crews to begin full-scale work to repair the hole and get the lane reopened as soon as possible.

There is no estimate on when the road will reopen but crews with the Colorado Department of Transportation believe it will be Friday morning.

The sinkhole may have opened up due to a couple of mine shafts weakening underneath the highway. It appeared at about 1 p.m. Thursday.

There are no reports of any injuries.