Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon closed Wednesday afternoon in both directions after a multi-vehicle crash, with more than two-dozen vehicles involved, injured several people.
I-70 in BOTH directions is CLOSED through the Glenwood Canyon due to a multi-car crash with injuries. Initial reports of 17 passenger cars and 7 semi's involved at I-70 MP 120 EB. Expect this to be an extended closure. – 4C10
— CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle)
Initial reports indicate that 17 cars and seven semi-trucks were involved in collisions in the eastbound lanes of the highway, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crashes happened at about 2:35 p.m. and the highway was closed until about 5:45 p.m. when it reopened in both directions.
Fifteen of the 17 cars involved were towed off the highway and three of the semi-trucks also were towed, said Master Trooper Gary Cutler, a CSP spokesman.
Eight people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals with injuries suffered in the incident, Cutler said. Snow-packed roads and icy conditions on Wednesday contributed to the massive mess. An investigation is ongoing.
In the summer of 2020, the I-70 section through Glenwood Canyon was shutdown for an extended period by the Grizzly Peak fire. After the fire, in the summer of 2021, the highway was shut down several times after rain and thunderstorms caused mudslides and debris flows from the wildfire scar.
Repair costs and replacement of sections of the highway through the canyon, because of the fire and subsequent flooding and washouts, finished up around Thanksgiving and the total project costs were estimated to be about $116 million.
