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Both Directions Of I-70 Closed At Eisenhower Tunnel Due To Crashes

SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Travel over and under the Continental Divide became a snowy entanglement of cars and trucks late Thursday afternoon.

The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed shortly after 5 p.m. due to a multiple-vehicle collision east of the Eisenhower Tunnel.

After 5:30, westbound traffic west of the tunnel was brought to a halt by a separate crash.

Loveland Pass, too, had its share. It was also closed.

According to unconfirmed radio traffic from the scene, the eastbound crash involved 10 vehicles, one person was transported to a hospital via ambulance, and another driver was under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

I-70 Crashes 1 (cdot)
(credit: Colorado Department of Transportation)

Westbound I-70 was declared back open at 8:20 p.m. and eastbound cleared at 9:40. But as of midnight, the road over Loveland Pass was still closed.

 

The closures felt like a repeat performance. Both directions of I-70 were closed Wednesday evening due to snowy road conditions and wrecks as well. Those accidents occurred on sections of highway farther away from the tunnel than Thursday's incidents. Eastbound I-70 was closed immediately west of Denver and eastbound in Silverthorne, negating travel to about two hours along the entire stretch of the highway.

 

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