Wildfire burn zones leading to flooding have caused road closures along Interstate 70 on Thursday, including through Glenwood Canyon.
Eastbound and westbound I-70 in Glenwood Canyon remain closed overnight due to debris flows, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The area between west Glenwood and Dotsero is inaccessible to drivers Friday morning.
CDOT says mudslide cleanup is still ongoing as of 6 a.m. Friday, with no estimated time of reopening that stretch of I-70.
Transportation crews have closed the route several times this summer as rains continue to impact the road.
UPDATE – 9:30 pm (7/22) I-70 in Glenwood Canyon is CLOSED overnight both WB & EB with no estimated time of opening due to several debris flows that occurred earlier this evening.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
eastbound/westbound: Road closed between Exit 114 – West Glenwood and Exit 133 – Dotsero. Due to forecasted precipitation/potential debris flow over the Grizzly Creek burn scar.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
The hours-long detour around Glenwood Canyon takes travelers westbound on I-70 to a turn north onto Colorado 9. In Kremmling, motorists are to turn onto westbound U.S. 40 toward Steamboat Springs. After reaching Craig, drivers should return south via Colorado 13 toward Rifle. Access to I-70 westbound is at Rifle. From the Western Slope, the directions are in reverse.
I-70 westbound at Avon Highway was also closed for more than two hours on Thursday because of mudslides in the area in the afternoon, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced.
Transportation officials warned drivers taking summer trips to expect possible closures over the next 10 days, with forecasters monitoring several burn scar areas, including Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak and East Troublesome, which burned wide swaths of forest last summer near Granby, Grand Lake, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Glenwood Springs.
A woman was killed and three others are still missing after flash flooding in the Poudre Canyon.
