DILLON, Colo.—Traffic has returned to normal at the Eisenhower Tunnel after a power failure knocked out ventilation fans in both bores, forcing intermittent shutdowns to let exhaust fumes clear out.
Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Mindy Crane says backup generators have been stabilized, allowing officials to completely reopen the tunnel. Earlier, the generators were producing only enough electricity to power most of the lights inside the 1.7-mile long tunnel.
Crane says a lightning strike apparently damaged some electrical equipment at the tunnel. Xcel Energy is working with tunnel crews to restore full power.
It’s not clear how long that will take.
The tunnel about 60 miles west of Denver carried a record 1.2 million vehicles last month.
