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Rockslide closes I-70 westbound near Dumont

The Colorado State Patrol is suggesting this alternate route until Interstate 70 can be reopened. A rockslide in Clear Creek County is the cause.
Colorado State Patrol

Both lanes of Interstate 70 westbound are closed between Beaver Brook and Dumont in Clear Creek County.

Vehicles currently on I-70 westbound lanes in that area are being redirected east, and significant eastbound closures are expected today as well.

Travelers heading west from Denver should use U.S. Highway 285 to Colorado Highway 9, but delays are likely on this route as well. Go to http://www.cotrip.org for the latest road conditions.



Why rockfalls fall

CDOT crews monitor 750 sites around the state that they identify as potential rockfall areas. That spot in Clear Creek County is among them. So are areas along the I-70 corridor through Eagle and Garfield counties.

CDOT maintenance workers driving the highways all the time looking for loose rocks and other potential road hazards.

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Moisture gets behind rock on canyon walls, and as the water expands and contracts with freeze and thaw cycles and the changing of the seasons, rock is pushed away from the canyon wall.

Gravity does the rest.

Rockfall is sporadic, unpredictable and can occur at any time from almost any location along a slope, says CDOT’s geohazards team.


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