Traffic accidents this morning shut down highway lanes in Boulder and on I-70 in the foothills and further west in the mountains.
Traffic on the U.S. Highway 36 was shut down in both directions near Cherryvale Road, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The shutdown backed up traffic south of Boulder as people made their way to the University of Colorado at Boulder graduation ceremony at Folsom Field. About 6,000 students will receive their degrees today and about 20,000 people were expected to attend.
On U.S. 36 there were three crashes and one of them involved alcohol, said Trooper Heather Cobler, a Colorado State Patrol spokeswoman.
An officer responding to the accidents slipped on ice and injured his back, Cobler said.
All lanes of U.S. 36 reopened at about 8:05 a.m.
On I-70 in the foothills a traffic accident shut down two eastbound lanes in the Genesee area. All lanes on the highway were reopened at about 7:30 a.m.
Further west on I-70 an accident involving a truck at 6 a.m. near Fall River Road shut down the highway in both directions for about an hour, a CDOT spokesman said.
Early morning icy roads may have contributed to the accidents. There were no reports of serious injury.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
