The crash east of the tunnel happened around 2:50 p.m. near exit 216 for Loveland Pass as snow coated the highway, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

as of 8:20 p.m., according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Nineteen people were evaluated for injuries after the crash, and 11 did not want to be taken to the hospital, the state patrol said in a news release. One person who was taken to the hospital had serious bodily injuries.

Photos of the crash shared by the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s office show snow-covered roads, and snow showers are expected to continue overnight, according to the

The officials voiced those concerns Wednesday as a brigade of state firefighters trained at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, spraying water from a $700,000 pumper truck, a smaller “quick reaction” pumper truck, and hoses. Another brigade trained at the Hanging Lake Tunnel in Glenwood Canyon. A few years ago, CDOT crews at the Eisenhower Tunnel, which runs for 1.7 miles under the Continental Divide, relied on a single 30-year-old fire truck.

At least four certified firefighters man the Eisenhower tunnel around the clock, tasked with responding in seconds if sensors detect flames — first evacuating people, then clearing vehicles, then activating a $25 million automated spray system. “We never know what’s going to happen. We always have to be ready,” four-year firefighter Damion Sands said during a break. They count on support from full fire crews arriving from Summit County to the west or Clear Creek County to the east.

For decades, CDOT has managed the vehicle fire risks from industry tanker trucks hauling oil, gas, and other hazardous materials on I-70. State officials have relied on the practice of diverting all hazmat trucks off I-70 and over 11,990-foot Loveland Pass.

But now there’s a new threat.

“What we’re worried about is the EV fires. They don’t go out,” said Jori Ernst, CDOT’s emergency manager, during the training. “We’re not going to be able to fight them.”

Firefighters in full yellow garb, lugging respirators, practiced with hoses and water spray guns that can be controlled using joy sticks inside the trucks. They’re developing strategies for removing burning EVs from the tunnel and letting them burn outside. Crews are practicing with EV fire blankets — heavy tarps they can throw over burning vehicles to contain flames.

There’s never been a fatality caused by a vehicle fire in the Colorado I-70 mountain tunnels. But the a year ago in Wyoming that killed three people, and the 1999 in Europe that killed 39 people, have spurred safety efforts worldwide.

While EV risks aren’t fully understood, firefighters know the batteries that power them “burn hot, and release a lot of toxins,” complicating responses, CDOT fire program manager Peter Igel said. “Do we prevent the exposures and let those fires burn? Or do we try to suppress the fire? If the fire is in the tunnel, hopefully, we can move the burning vehicle outside.”

Since 2017, vehicles have caught fire and burned in the Eisenhower tunnel five times, forcing closures that lasted up to 14 hours, said Paul Fox, manager of CDOT’s tunnels.

The last fire on July 17, 2023, engulfed a van carrying 10 tourists, leading to an eight-hour closure. “We got them all out. They were worried about their luggage,” Fox said.

Another fire broke out in a box truck loaded with cardboard, he said. And one broke in an RV when a generator ignited.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter what starts the fire. It is if the big one happens. We are just worried about that.”

Colorado road closures as of 11:40 a.m. Friday

• U.S. 285 between mile point 184 at Ridge Lane and mile point 208 at Geneva Creek north of Fairplay

Snow is expected to impact travel on Interstate 70, U.S. 40 and other roads in the central and northern mountains, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Up to 14 inches could fall at the Eisenhower Tunnel and up to 13 inches at Vail Pass.

Northbound lanes of Interstate 25 closed early Friday morning near the Wyoming border but reopened as of 9:15 a.m.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

at Silverthorne and eastbound U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass reopened as of 7:45 p.m., according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

State officials warned of “long delays” after closing the highway at 6 p.m.

A winter storm is expected to drop up to 8 inches of snow in the mountains tonight and early Saturday morning, according to a from the National Weather Service.

A is active until midnight for the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, including Eisenhower Tunnel, Winter Park and Breckenridge, as well as Cameron, Berthoud, Rabbit Ears and Willow Creek passes.

Up to 6 inches of snow is expected through the I-70 corridor, with up to 8 inches possible in some places, forecasters said.

Up to a foot of snow could fall over the Park Range, north of Rabbit Ears Pass. Blowing snow and wind gusts as high as 60 mph are expected, with the strongest winds early in the day.

“Travel could be difficult across the mountain passes, especially through early this afternoon when the bulk of the snow will fall,” forecasters wrote in the advisory.

Conditions are expected , with a chance of more winter weather in the mountains in the latter half of the week.

National Weather Service forecasters issued a ’s northern and central mountains until 11 p.m. Saturday and “strongly recommended” that people change their travel plans.

“Snow and blowing snow will reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less. Near blizzard conditions are possible, especially Saturday morning. Travel will be very difficult to impossible, with road closures possible,” forecasters wrote in the alert.

Traffic cameras show snow-packed roads throughout the mountains as of Saturday afternoon.

as of 6:15 p.m. Saturday:

• U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass, from I-70 to mile 222, east of Keystone Ski Resort

Snow and blowing snow continued to make travel difficult Saturday afternoon, and roads will likely remain slick and snowy through Saturday night, National Weather Service forecasters said.

Travel on I-70 through the mountains has become very difficult due to snow and blowing snow. Conditions will slowly improve later this afternoon, but snow covered and slippery roads will likely linger through the rest of this afternoon and evening.

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)

:

• Interstate 70: 1-4 inches in Idaho Springs, 5-10 inches in Georgetown, 8-15 inches at Eisenhower Tunnel, 5-10 inches in Silverthorne, 9-15 inches on Vail Pass.
• U.S. 40: 8-13 inches in Steamboat Springs, 20-30 inches on Rabbit Ears Pass, 3-6 inches in Kremmling, 4-8 inches in Granby, 8-14 inches in Winter Park and on Berthoud Pass, 4-9 inches in Empire.
• U.S. 34: 5-10 inches in Grand Lake, 9-17 inches at Alpine Visitors Center in Rocky Mountain National Park (which is closed to through traffic for the season,) 1-4 inches in Estes Park.
• Colorado 14: 3-7 inches in Walden, 4-12 inches in Gould, 9-18 inches on Cameron Pass, 2-4 inches in Rustic.

officials also issued a travel alert Friday night, stating drivers should be prepared for icy, snow-packed conditions and road closures.

Happening Now 12/6 at 10:30am: Single vehicle (semi truck) crash I-70 West mm 228. Westbound is closed; traffic is being detoured off Exit 228 and right back on I-70 West to bypass the crash. At this time, the contents of the trailer are planned to be transferred to another…

— Clear Creek Sheriff's Office (@ClearCreekCoSO)

Anyone who must travel should bring emergency supplies, including an extra flashlight, food and water, NWS officials said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel were closed because of safety concerns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The closure was between exits 216 and 205, which are for Loveland Pass and Silverthorne, respectively.

A heavy winter storm is expected to hit the area between today and tomorrow. Up to 15 inches is forecasted for the I-70 corridor, including the Park, Gore and Mosquito ranges. Rabbit Ears Pass could get up to two feet of snow.

Other road conditions and updates are posted on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website, .

I-70 was closed in both directions between exit 205, near Silverthorne, and exit 216, near Loveland Pass, for safety concerns, . Images taken near the Eisenhower Tunnel showed snowy roads and heavy traffic.

The section of highway had fully reopened by 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, but snow remained on the roads, along I-70 showed.

Multiple lanes and shoulders in the same area of I-70 were closed and reopened Tuesday morning for crashes amid the snowy and icy weather.

The National Weather Service west of Denver could see anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow overnight Sunday into Monday morning.

But precipitation will remain rain in the metro area Monday, with highs in the low 50s.

There will be a chance of showers Monday evening with a low of 40 degrees before things gradually warm to 61 on Tuesday, as skies clear.

Forecasters say temperatures will climb into the 70s on Wednesday, with sunny skies, and perhaps top out as high as 80 on an equally sunny Thursday.

Wintry weather caused havoc on Interstate 70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel and on Loveland Pass early Monday morning.

To make matters worse, a semi trailer was blocking both directions of U.S. 6 on Loveland Pass, which acts as a detour around the tunnel, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office announced. The crash was cleared around 7:10 a.m.

At 7:10 a.m., the agency said that all lanes of westbound I-70 had been reopened near the tunnel but that the going was slow, with a 3-mile-long backup in the area. The sheriff’s office said there had been several crashes west of Georgetown due to slick conditions.

Meanwhile, a single vehicle rollover crash closed the northbound off ramp to Auraria Parkway in Denver early Monday morning. The Denver Police Department at the Auraria Parkway off-ramp from I-25, which resulted in an oil spill. The department said there were no serious injuries from the crash.