Avoid I-70 Into The High Country: Emergency Rockfall Mitigation Forces Closure
CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Drivers wanting to get to the high country on Thursday should plan on taking a route other than Interstate 70.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is performing emergency rockfall mitigation in the westbound lanes of I-70 just west of Floyd Hill. CDOT told CBS4 that the work could close the highway for much of the day, if not all day long.
The mitigation is taking place at mile marker 244, just west of Floyd Hill. Access to I-70 will be restricted or completely closed during the course of the mitigation. The detour around the full closure is US 6 from Golden to near Black Hawk.
Crews will be pulling down two large boulders each about the size of a car. A small rock slide in the area last week alerted CDOT to the potential for more falling rocks.
CDOT released the following specifics about the project:
- At 9 a.m., rock removal will begin and I-70 between Beaver Brook and Hidden Valley will be closed to traffic. Due to the uncertainty of the amount of material needing removal, there is no estimated completion time. Once all rock is removed, additional scaling and clean-up is required before the roadway can reopen.
- Expect extended delays in the area throughout the mitigation operation.
CDOT spokesman Tony DeVito described the project as critical to safety.
"We understand the impact this has on motorists and residents in the area and ask for patience," he said in a prepared statement.
Drivers are urged to plan an alternate route because of anticipated delays.
To receive real time information on this work, visit cotrip.org, call 511 or download the CDOT mobile app.
