The driver of a semitrailer was hospitalized Tuesday morning after a rollover crash that shut down Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon for hours.
Westbound I-70 reopened just before 1 p.m. but the eastbound highway remained closed between Exit 121 for Grizzly Creek and Exit 125 for Hanging Lake until about 9 p.m.
The semitrailer was traveling westbound on I-70 when it rolled, crashing over the barrier from the top deck of the highway onto the lower eastbound bottom deck, Colorado State Patrol Trooper Sherri Mendez said.
In Glenwood Canyon, I-70’s westbound lanes were built a level higher than the eastbound lanes to preserve the canyon floor, according to , the interstate’s designers.
Mendez said the semi’s driver was initially trapped in his vehicle and hanging from his seatbelt, but he has since been taken to the hospital in unknown condition.
Because of the crash, an unknown amount of oil spilled across the eastbound lanes of the interstate, Mendez said. Crews on scene were working to investigate the crash, clear the debris and clean up the oil.
