It Has Been 12 Days Since Mudslides Shut Down I-70 In Glenwood Canyon, And There's No End To The Closure In Sight

UPDATE: I-70 Through Glenwood Canyon To Partially Reopen Saturday Afternoon

(CBS4) - It's all hands on deck to clean up and repair I-70 through Glenwood Canyon after fierce mudslides not only damaged the highway but literally changed the course of the Colorado River. A 46 mile stretch of Interstate 70 has now been closed in western Colorado from Dotsero (Exit 133) to Glenwood Springs (Exit 116) for 13 straight days.

Progress is being made, as seen in new photos from the Colorado Department of Transportation. The agency reports that crews removed up to 26 million pounds of material from the canyon between July 30, the day after the extreme debris flows came down, and Sunday.

"Our crews removed 440 truckloads of debris, which is fantastic," said CDOT spokeswoman Elise Thatcher on Monday.

A total of 189 maintenance employees from around the state are handling the closure management and cleanup efforts. The debris must be removed so engineers can better assess the damage to see what repairs will actually entail.

There's still no estimate on when the interstate will reopen through Glenwood Canyon, but the expectation is only one lane of the roadway in each direction will be open when it does.

On Monday Gov. Jared Polis asked for $116 million from the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief program for the repairs. Part of the request asks that $11.6 million, or 10% of the total request, be issued in an expedited process.

That funding request is still an estimate and CDOT expects to update the damage assessment and funding needs in the next 8 to 10 weeks. It also asks to study and construct safety improvements to alternate routes to Glenwood Canyon like Cottonwood Pass. That's estimated to cost more than $50 million. State Sen. Ray Scott, a Republican who represents Mesa County, said that's something he wishes the governor and CDOT addressed before it came to this.

"It was obvious that this was going to be a problem," said state Sen. Ray Scott, a Republican who represents Mesa County. "We've had money sitting there waiting to go. The focus has not been anywhere near what we should have had on that project, now here we are."

The governor also declared a state of emergency, which authorized the use of the Colorado National Guard to help manage traffic in the area.

The mudslides also temporarily halted train service on Amtrak's California Zephyr between Denver and Grand Junction but the service was restored late last week.

Why Are There Mudslides In Glenwood Canyon In 2021?

Several mud and debris flows in Glenwood Canyon have happened during heavy rainstorms this summer, but none were as destructive as the ones on July 29. The mudslides are a result of the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned up and down the canyon walls in 2020. The 32,631 acre fire left a burn scar on the blackened canyonside that has little plant grown in it to keep the soil from eroding when heavy rainstorms pass through.

What Is The Recommended Detour Around The Closure?

CDOT recommends drivers take the alternative route to get around the I-70 closure. That route is to the north of the canyon and adds approximately 2.5 hours to the drive in either direction.

"It's just not an ideal place for short detours," said CDOT Region 3 Transportation Director Mike Goolsby in July.

The following is the route to take:

WESTBOUND I-70: Motorists coming from the Denver metro area or Interstate 25 can travel westbound on I-70 to Silverthorne, then turn north onto Highway 9. In Kremmling, travelers should turn onto westbound Highway 40 towards Steamboat Springs. After reaching Craig, motorists can return south via Highway 13 towards Rifle. Access to I-70 westbound is at Rifle.

EASTBOUND I-70: Motorists traveling eastbound from Utah or Grand Junction can reach the Denver metro area by traveling north from Rifle on Highway 13 to Craig. From there, head east on Highway 40 through Steamboat Springs. Either take Highway 131 south to Wolcott and onto I-70 from there or continue on Highway 40 through to Kremmling and head south on Highway 9, then join up with eastbound I-70 again at Silverthorne.

RELATED: Glenwood Springs Visitors Say It's Worth The Drive Around I-70 Closure