Glenwood Springs Businesses Share In The Damage Done By Rock Slide
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - The longest closure in the history of Glenwood Canyon lefts its mark on Glenwood Springs, a town cut off from the Front Range for nearly a week due to rock slides.
The Interstate 70 daytime closure remains in place, and detours like the one off I-70 at Wolcott are at times faster, even at three hours, than waiting for the pilot car.
Inside the Glenwood Hot Springs Grill and Snack Bar workers told CBS4's Matt Kroschel the first night of the closure they actually saw a spike in business with people assuming the canyon would reopen in the morning. But as the days wore on visitors began to realize taking the lengthy detour was their only option. That left a mark on the local economy.
Glenwood Springs residents say they have experienced it before when the interstate was closed in 2010 after a massive Boulder damaged the road. This latest closure is the longest however, and things are far from back to normal.
The Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce says it is too early to tell for sure just how much of an impact the closure has had, but admit it has hurt a lot of local businesses at a bad times during the already slow time in the town.
One major problem for hotels was reservation cancellations due to folks not wanting to make the frustrating detour.
The Chamber Of Commerce says several large meetings and conferences have not been canceled.
Despite rumors people in Glenwood Springs we're finding empty shelves at local supermarkets. Officials said they have had no reports of that happening.
The I-70 pilot car program is expected to be in place for several more days.
LINK: Traffic Section
Additional Resources
Read a news release from CDOT that includes more information on the closure, travel impacts and alternate routes.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.
