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Truck Driver Sees Car In Front Of Him Disappear Before Hitting Rock Slide Boulder

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP/CBS4) - A rock slide in a deep and narrow canyon has indefinitely closed Interstate 70 near Glenwood Springs, forcing drivers on a 140-mile detour.

A tractor-trailer rig was damaged, but no one was injured Monday night when the rocks tumbled onto I-70 about 125 miles east of the Utah border. The Colorado Department of Transportation shut down traffic in both directions along 24 miles of highway, from Glenwood Springs in the west to Gypsum in the east.

CDOT spokeswoman Amy Ford said Tuesday officials don't know when it will reopen.

"It could be a long-time closure," she said.

CDOT Glenwood Canyon rockslide tuesday day pic2
(credit: CDOT)

"This is as big as I've seen," said CDOT spokeswoman Tracy Trulove, who has been in her role for about two and half years.

Crews are expected to have the interstate clear by Thursday afternoon. But traffic could move slowly because pilot vehicles will lead drivers through the most damaged areas, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported.

A boulder the size of a small car crashed into the truck's trailer, said Ron Milhorn, news director of KMTS radio in Glenwood Springs, who came upon the scene after the slide.

RELATED: Portion of Highway 550 Remains Closed Near Durango Due To Rock Slide

The truck driver, Ray Hatch of Las Vegas, told Milhorn he saw the car in front of him disappear into a cloud of dust before his truck hit a boulder head-on. Hatch was calm and in good spirits after the crash, Milhorn told The Associated Press.

CDOT Glenwood Canyon rockslide tuesday day pic1
(credit: CDOT)

Milhorn and his wife were returning to their home west of Glenwood Springs after a weekend in Denver when traffic came to a stop because of the slide. He said his vehicle was behind 10 or 12 others about 100 yards from the debris.

Vehicles that could turn around were escorted back out of the canyon, Milhorn said.

Average daily traffic through the canyon is about 300 vehicles per hour, CDOT said.

CDOT Glenwood Canyon rockslide tuesday day pic1
(credit: CDOT)

The shortest detour adds nearly 140 miles to the trip, taking traffic north to U.S. 40 and then back south to I-70.

A helicopter took CDOT inspectors on a flight Tuesday afternoon to assess the risk of additional rock fall from the canyon walls, Ford said. She had no reports yet on what the team found.

The Colorado River carved the scenic canyon, which is popular with anglers and rafters. The chasm is so narrow that one 12-mile section of the interstate runs through three tunnels and across 40 viaducts and bridges. It took 12 years to complete.

Additional Resources

The following information on detours was provided by CDOT:

It is undetermined at this point in time when the interstate will reopen. The alternate route for westbound motorists is north on CO 131 at Wolcott to Steamboat Springs, west on US 40 to Craig, then south on CO 13 to Rifle and back to I-70. This is a 203-mile alternate route that will take about three hours and 50 minutes to travel. This detour adds 146 miles and about three hours to a regular trip from Wolcott to Rifle on I-70, which is 67 miles or about 45 minutes. Please always check www.cotrip.org for roadway conditions before heading out.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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