# I-70 Closure - West Rifle to Hanging Lake 7/23/21



## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Serious debris flows along the Colorado may put a damper on boating this section this weekend...





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Debris Flow On Colorado River Causes ‘Extended Closure’ Of I-70 In Glenwood Canyon






www.msn.com


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Yes sir, and with more rain headed this way I doubt it's going to get better before it gets worse. Read an article this morning which showed a guy kayaking through downtown Phoenix...


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

Certainly complicates getting to Ruby Horsethief, Westwater and all points west from Front Range. I pulled out of doing R_H this weekend not wanting to do the detour with all the associated interstate traffic load. 

Also Hwy 50 is mostly closed on weekdays between Blue Mesa Dam and Montrose due to construction.


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## VanHalli (May 5, 2020)

GeoRon said:


> Certainly complicates getting to Ruby Horsethief, Westwater and all points west from Front Range. I pulled out of doing R_H this weekend not wanting to do the detour with all the associated interstate traffic load.
> 
> Also Hwy 50 is mostly closed on weekdays between Blue Mesa Dam and Montrose due to construction.


Just want to piggyback on this, Highway 50 is nothing short of a shitshow. If you need to head that way plan accordingly, it's all but closed save for a few hours a day and it's not a guarantee you'll get through during one of the few openings, due to traffic volume.


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## powrider686 (Aug 12, 2009)

Pretty impressive. No time of reopening. The river is trying to undercut I-70. I-70 closure to remain in place until interstate surface can be assessed


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

VanHalli said:


> Just want to piggyback on this, Highway 50 is nothing short of a shitshow. If you need to head that way plan accordingly, it's all but closed save for a few hours a day and it's not a guarantee you'll get through during one of the few openings, due to traffic volume.


OK, so it sounds like with the main national E-W route through Colorado closed, maybe they should do the minimum to get as many lanes on US 50 open, and shut down the construction for awhile? I'd expect the long-haul truckers are taking I-40 and I-80 but we need to get as much open through the mountains as possible. I expect US 40 is a mess too....


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

I stopped skiing a decade ago...mostly because of ski traffic. It seems like every day is as a bad as the weekends were back then. 

Driving through the mountains is a total crap shoot... always seems like there is something to cause a 2 hour stoppage somewhere on the trip. I definitely dread the drive between Glenwood and Denver every time I have to do it. Its gonna get worse too... a big construction project on Floyd Hill is upcoming.

Pretty crazy seeing the mudslides in Glenwood Canyon though. Expected...but crazy.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

The Hwy 50 construction zone is open to traffic fri afternoon through mon morning if that helps.
I bet Hwy 40 is fun and there's always Independence Pass, as if 82 needs more traffic. 






__





Home | US 50 Little Blue Creek Improvements







www.us50info.com





Good luck out there folks!


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

Isn’t the only real question here whether or not new rapids are going to be formed?


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

With how much damage the mudslides have caused I’m not sure if I-70 is gonna be open for a minute. Especially because they have to mitigate and repair stuff. The lady told me earlier today that she read a news article stating they can’t mitigate anything currently or at all due to all of the natural damage (Didn’t read it myself so don’t quote me lol). Will definitely be interesting to see what happens and how long it takes. Wouldn’t be surprised if they make a temporary designated route to streamline traffic. Kinda crazy how one road can disconnect two sides of the state.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

As of 6:39am MDT, Westbound I-70 is OPEN


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

My read is maybe only open west of Glenwood springs???????? I'll try reading it again. Confusing!


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Blade&Shaft said:


> Isn’t the only real question here whether or not new rapids are going to be formed?


I just watched a news segment that showed a TON of debris that had gotten pushed into the river from the southern side of the river. It had basically dammed the river and there were a ton of logs and debris in the eddy above. I couldn't tell where it was in the canyon but the width and gradient made it look to me to be somewhere above the Grizzly Creek rest stop. 

Edit: I changed my mind...looked at google maps and it looks more like "Devil's Hole Canyon" above Barrel Springs...would also explain the low river flows.


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

Yeah, it's Devil's Hole according to the news reports I've read.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Now Loveland pass is closed due to mudslide. 

So, for me to get to Grand Junction, I now need to travel to Del Norte (Home of 3 barrel brewing, don't drive past it) then on to Pagosa and Durango, then north over Molas, Iron Mtn and Coal Bank pass, the million dollar highway, up thru Silverton, Ouray and RIdgeway (don't drive past Orvis Hot Springs either), Montrose, Delta and Grand Junction. Should be to Westwater in 3 or 4 days if I leave right now LOLOLOL.. 

Could this be an evil plot by good ol Mother Nature to keep the front range ON the front range ?!?!?!


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Damn....now I70 is closed because of a wildfire near Eagle. I think its time for a tunnel from Golden to Grand Junction.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> Damn....now I70 is closed because of a wildfire near Eagle. I think its time for a tunnel from Golden to Grand Junction.


0 bite your tongue


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

MNichols said:


> 0 bite your tongue


Ok....done....now what?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Your options if I remember correctly are highway 50 to 114 over the Gunnison dam up into Crawford and Hotchkiss to Delta hang a right you're in Grand junction

There is that pesky i-80 up north, since Douglas passes closed you'll need to go to probably damn near salt lake City then head south on 15


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Sorry, and I hope this doesn't turn into a rant. I'll do my best to curtail my thoughts.

You ask, now what. A tunnel to the western slope? Really. I know it was sarcastic and that's all fine and good but I'm so sick of people coming up with ways to take Western slope water for the front range make it easy to move through this that and the other thing, all the while ignoring the root of the problem, or is a scientist would say the root cause

I can't get away from anybody, places I used to go that offered a little bit of solitude, shit I went and slept on Hayden pass night before last and had a beautiful campfire and a wonderful 20 minutes before the traffic on the friggin thing just made me want to tear my hair out. I understand I drove my pickup truck there with my sleeping bag, so should anybody else be able to, but still it was my night away... And I was anything but away


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Sorry, I've calmed down now, but still... I don't have a solution that wouldn't infringe on somebody else's rights, but yet here I am in my dream home in my dream town, and I have to fight the RVs on the highway to get into town.. it's 12 mi away and can take up to an hour..

Rant over I promise


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

damn...I bit my tongue for nothing? That hurt and all I got out of it was hearing a guy who probably should have moved to the Yukon a decade ago rant about people enjoying the same thing he enjoys. Last I checked you live in the Arkansas valley...which has water and power provided by water from the western slope as well. Sorry for trying to poke holes in your world view.

I'm aware of the detour options. I think right now...one can bypass the Eagle fire via the frontage road. If Glenwood closes...one can detour at Silverthorne over Rabbit Ears through Steamboat and Craig and down to Rifle. Adds 2.5 hours or so. sounds like the southern route through Salida, Gunnison and Montrose is kind of a shit show right now.

Not that it matters...but I was born and raised in Eagle county... so I understand your point of view.


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## IntrepidXJ (Jun 27, 2008)

MNichols said:


> Could this be an evil plot by good ol Mother Nature to keep the front range ON the front range ?!?!?!



Doesn't sound so evil to me?


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Hope I’m wrong but think we are pretty f’d through august at least with mudslides/fires/traffic detour nightmares


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## Bootboy (Aug 25, 2020)

If only she would concoct a way to stop 
California out-migration…


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## AbnMike (May 14, 2020)

MNichols said:


> Could this be an evil plot by good ol Mother Nature to keep the front range ON the front range ?!?!?!


Hope so!

Mostly we care about the transplanted Californians and northeasterners but unfortunately there’s no way to discriminate.


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Water always wins, looks to be extended closure









I-70 in Glenwood Canyon will remain closed after CDOT finds damage "unlike anything they had seen before"


To detour around the latest closure, motorists are asked to travel north on U.S. 40 through Steamboat Springs, which adds several hours




coloradosun.com


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

My wife told me they said on the news it may be closed up to a year, as CDOT believes the upper deck has suffered catastrophic structural damage, and they haven't been able to clear the debris long enough to make an assessment on the integrity of the lower deck.. 

I feel for the good folks of Steamboat, Meeker, Craig and RIfle for sure. When it was closed last, highway 50 was the route they sent the traffic down, they can't do that this time due to them tearing 50 up with total road closures all day and all night past hey 92 most of the way to Montrose.. The traffic was unbelievable, unrelenting, and downright dangerous.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

In this morning's Denver Post. 








I-70 in Glenwood Canyon closed for “extended” period due to unprecedented mudslide damage


Interstate 70 through the Glenwood Canyon will remain closed for an extended period of time as transportation officials wrestle with unprecedented damage from multiple mudslides and floods.




www.denverpost.com





“From the briefing call that I was a part of, senior operations supervisors and engineers described extreme damage, the likes of which they had never seen in the canyon before,” he said.
Flash flooding over the 32,000-acre Grizzly Creek fire burn scar this weekend dropped debris on about 10 different spots on the interstate. In some places, rocks, mud and trees are 10 to 12 feet deep. In other areas, debris is scattered for 200 yards.


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

Well, it looks like Shoshone will have some new rapids...


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

gnarsify said:


> Well, it looks like Shoshone will have some new rapids...


That's the way to put a ray of sunshine into an otherwise dismal situation! Good on you!


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## powrider686 (Aug 12, 2009)

I’m ready for first descent of the new Mudslude rapid! It’s replaced Baptism for sure. Maybe the new way for a baptism is with mud water 🤣🤣


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

I'm looking forward to see someone run the Bike Path rapid, watch the strainer on river right!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Going to take a super puma and an r2 to pull that one off!


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

In all seriousness, does anyone have an inside scoop? I imagine the guide companies are shaking in their boots on what happens to the commercial runs in the canyon. Raft guiding is relatively big business in Glenwood and if the canyon can't be run after all the floods, there will be plenty of out of work river guides.


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## Easy Tiger (Jun 22, 2016)

gnarsify said:


> In all seriousness, does anyone have an inside scoop? I imagine the guide companies are shaking in their boots on what happens to the commercial runs in the canyon. Raft guiding is relatively big business in Glenwood and if the canyon can't be run after all the floods, there will be plenty of out of work river guides.


I think a lot of that will flush out with the next high water season. I don't think Shoshone will become "unrunnable" but it will change some of the rapids for sure. Next year it could be a Class 2 run or a Class 4 run. Will have to wait and see...


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

Easy Tiger said:


> I think a lot of that will flush out with the next high water season. I don't think Shoshone will become "unrunnable" but it will change some of the rapids for sure. Next year it could be a Class 2 run or a Class 4 run. Will have to wait and see...


I hope you're right and I'm not a geotechnical or hydrologic engineer but I'm not convinced all the debris will flush out. The picture below shows debris piled on the bike path all the way up to the east bound deck. It's been a while since I've been down there but that pile is at least 20' tall. Also (again not an engineer, just grew up running that stretch of water), Shoshone Hydroelectric would have to increase flows out of the dam and I'm not sure the water rights implications involved with doing so, especially with another dry year. I've also heard rumors of CDOT having to punch a channel through the slide that dammed the river near barrel springs, which indicates they don't anticipate it flushing out either.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

We're just going to have to wait and see and how it plays out... You're rafting industry is pretty damn strong, but I think the big deal is going to be whether or not CDOT can fix the highway.. at this point, it doesn't sound good but it doesn't sound bad either....


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

Gonna take a bit to wash this away.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Utterly incredible


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

They need to put up mudslide chutes over the highway.............Maybe Lowe's or Harbor Freight would have some..........🐴


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

And it looks like there's a lot more poised to come down...


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Photo's from this morning's Denver Post. 








PHOTOS: CDOT crews work to clear I-70 through Glenwood Canyon after recent mudslides


Colorado Department of Transportation crews continued working to clear I-70 of debris from recent mudslides in Glenwood Canyon on Wednesday, August 5, 2021.




www.denverpost.com





Tore the $%^&* out of the road.


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

Awesome


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Just heard on NPR they're "hoping to open by ski season." Crap.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Andy H. said:


> Just heard on NPR they're "hoping to open by ski season." Crap.


Crap indeed, they are starting to route traffic south judging from the flow that we have on highway 50, already at capacity. 🤬🤬


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

I heard they have halted construction on highway 50 until they reopen Glenwood Canyon.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

caverdan said:


> I heard they have halted construction on highway 50 until they reopen Glenwood Canyon.


I heard that yesterday from State Patrol when we were discussing the bizarre amount of traffic, that was contributory to 2 car rollover at the west end of the town I live in. Couple passing on a double yellow ran themselves and another car into a ravine.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Update in this morning's Summit Daily News








CDOT images show extensive debris remains on I-70 at Glenwood Canyon


GLENWOOD CANYON — Photos released Monday, Aug. 9, by the Colorado Department of Transportation show a large amount of debris still covering one particular section of Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon and damage to the...




www.summitdaily.com


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

With any luck it’ll stay closed till next spring…


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## outdoorco75 (Aug 6, 2021)

I read in the Ouray news the other day that Highway 50 construction has been suspended and the highway has been opened full time to help relieve I-70.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

I went over Cottonwood both directions for a Westwater trip over the weekend. Got stuck behind a bunch of slow people on the way there but got lucky on the way back. I know the locals are kind of annoyed...but that is gonna be true of anywhere. I saw a few vehicles that really had no business going that way but they still made it (a 26' Box truck and a Large RV). Colorado National Guard is overseeing the traffic going over the pass...










Sounds like earlier in the day yesterday they had someone go off the side of the road closing it but it was recovered by midday. I went over the pass around 3-4pm and it seemed like many more people were going west then east. There are a substantial number of people who live in Garfield County that work in Eagle County and that is currently the best way to accomplish their commute. On my way home...it only took about an extra hour of driving compared to when the canyon is open.

Both road signs and GPS were aggresively detouring via the southern route i.e. Highway 50 through Montrose, Gunnison, Salida, and down 285 into Denver. None of the road signs said anything about the Northern detour until you went passed the last exit that was viable for the Southern route. Once past there they aggressively routed you via the Northern route through Craig and Steamboat. Aggresive to the level of closing the highway completely at West Rifle and making you drive through town and passed a checkpoint just so you can get back on I-70 if you wanted to go to Silt, Glenwood, or up the valley towards Aspen/Carbondale.

I know all of you mountain town people are grumpy about this...but I think you are gonna have to get used to it. Maybe once they clear the debris it will look less dire...but it is what it is at this point. It sucks in general...but I feel really bad for the people that have to commute every day through the canyon.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

outdoorco75 said:


> I read in the Ouray news the other day that Highway 50 construction has been suspended and the highway has been opened full time to help relieve I-70.


You read correctly, they have suspended that project indefinitely, or at least until they can fix the interstate


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> I went over Cottonwood both directions for a Westwater trip over the weekend. Got stuck behind a bunch of slow people on the way there but got lucky on the way back. I know the locals are kind of annoyed...but that is gonna be true of anywhere. I saw a few vehicles that really had no business going that way but they still made it (a 26' Box truck and a Large RV). Colorado National Guard is overseeing the traffic going over the pass...
> 
> View attachment 69138
> 
> ...


That completely and totally sucks, running traffic through rifle, and through steamboat for that matter... On the bright side, traffic is missing Salida, but I bet you Buena Vista is feeling the pain


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

gnarsify said:


> Gonna take a bit to wash this away.


Incredible footage.




MNichols said:


> And it looks like there's a lot more poised to come down...


Oh man, that's exactly what I was thinking. Unstable slopes and minimal vegetation. Could be at least that much more coming down in the next 6mo-5yrs. Incredible to see where the mud flow was up at the top of the cuts and see how much has eroded--and left unstable banks.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

MNichols said:


> That completely and totally sucks, running traffic through rifle, and through steamboat for that matter... On the bright side, traffic is missing Salida, but I bet you Buena Vista is feeling the pain


BV might see more traffic...but I think most will take 285 to 24 over Monarch into Gunnison, so BV won't see those folks much. They'll see some of the people that decided to go the i70 route to Copper Mountain through Leadville though. I think many of those would end up going the Northern detour though.

One thing is certain... people still wanna go places, goods have to move, and people need to travel for work... so I'd just embrace it and be grateful for the business this will bring to those towns and know that the people having to detour don't want to be there anymore then you don't want them to be and will be moving through as quick as they can.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

According to this article there might be some hope is sight...

I-70 through Glenwood Canyon set for limited reopening ‘in days, not weeks’ after debris removal and basic repairs


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## Heywood (Apr 12, 2019)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> BV might see more traffic...but I think most will take 285 to 24 over Monarch into Gunnison, so BV won't see those folks much. They'll see some of the people that decided to go the i70 route to Copper Mountain through Leadville though. I think many of those would end up going the Northern detour though.
> 
> One thing is certain... people still wanna go places, goods have to move, and people need to travel for work... so I'd just embrace it and be grateful for the business this will bring to those towns and know that the people having to detour don't want to be there anymore then you don't want them to be and will be moving through as quick as they can.


Right now its fucking impossible to make a left hand turn onto or off of 285 in Johnson Village


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

Electric-Mayhem said:


> I went over Cottonwood both directions for a Westwater trip over the weekend. Got stuck behind a bunch of slow people on the way there but got lucky on the way back. I know the locals are kind of annoyed...but that is gonna be true of anywhere. I saw a few vehicles that really had no business going that way but they still made it (a 26' Box truck and a Large RV). Colorado National Guard is overseeing the traffic going over the pass...
> 
> View attachment 69138
> 
> ...


I know this is causing a lot of painful travel issues but their efforts are greatly appreciated by those of us who live along the southern routes. I live off of Highway 82 on the east end of Aspen and traffic and oversize vehicles have been extremely overwhelming for weeks. There has been a vast improvement since last week when they started making a serious effort to route traffic to the north which is a safer and more viable alternative that has cell service and the opportunity for assistance if you need it. Cottonwood and independence Pass is are both reasonable options for the right vehicle and driver but until recently things have been a shit show with constant road closures and disabled vehicles. I realize we cannot keep people out but there was so much traffic at times it was causing back ups through town. If you are using the lesser traveled routes all I can ask is please show some respect and have some patience.

Be safe out there!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

mkashzg said:


> Cottonwood and independence Pass is are both reasonable options for the right vehicle and driver but until recently things have been a shit show with constant road closures and disabled vehicles.


As far as I can ascertain, Independance pass is still closed / limited to local traffic, and always length restricted. Cottonwood, while now paved, works, but I can just imagine the traffic. 








Colorado 82 over Independence Pass shut down Wednesday for safety concerns


Colorado 82 over Independence Pass was closed to traffic, except local drivers, on Wednesday as a safety consideration.




www.denverpost.com






Heywood said:


> Right now its fucking impossible to make a left hand turn onto or off of 285 in Johnson Village


I feel your pain. Is the traffic light not working ??? From BV try Arizona Street (CR 313) to bypass the intersection, and from the south, try CR301 from Fisherman's to circumvent the intersection. 


Electric-Mayhem said:


> so I'd just embrace it and be grateful for the business this will bring to those towns and know that the people having to detour don't want to be there anymore then you don't want them to be and will be moving through as quick as they can.


Not to be obtuse, but if they are moving thru as fast as they can, they aren't bringing any money to the local area, at least past a gas station or Mcdonalds.. 


Andy H. said:


> Just heard on NPR they're "hoping to open by ski season." Crap.


NPR, right on top of it as always.


mkashzg said:


> I-70 through Glenwood Canyon set for limited reopening ‘in days, not weeks’ after debris removal and basic repairs


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## Acheron (Apr 5, 2021)

Anyone else catch the news story where CDOT announced closure of a pass due to mudslide but there was actually no mudslide and they were only trying to get people to not use the pass? 

I cannot imagine why people don't trust these agencies more!


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Acheron said:


> Anyone else catch the news story where CDOT announced closure of a pass due to mudslide but there was actually no mudslide and they were only trying to get people to not use the pass?
> 
> I cannot imagine why people don't trust these agencies more!


Was in the article I just posted 😎


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## Acheron (Apr 5, 2021)

MNichols said:


> Was in the article I just posted 😎


Thanks! That denver post website is a p.o.s. It wants me to disable adblock and wants my email in order to read their articles. I believe the fake mudslide reporting I'm referring to was earlier this month but I could easily be mistaken. If they are still doing it, that's their choice to lie to people and wonder why they don't get support/belief later. I must be feeling onery this morning  

Anyways...back to the topic, I feel sorry for the locals on these passes, what a pain. I've chosen to not feel entitled, make plans elsewhere, and instead avoid that entire area plus all of the detours.


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## Easy Tiger (Jun 22, 2016)

Honestly, I think they've been doing a good job with traffic mitigation over Indy Pass, even though traffic through Aspen has been really backed up at times. The fake mudslide story definitely wasn't a good look, but prior to the "closure" the amount of cars/trucks up there was ridiculous and dangerous. They even put in a temporary traffic light to alternate the direction of traffic through one of the narrow sections. Pretty annoying to me since there's actually plenty of room for 2 vehicles to pass each other in that section, but understandable because it can be scary if you're not familiar.


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Glad I was wrong, hopefully it stays open:

*Governor Polis, CDOT Announce Glenwood Canyon to Reopen on Saturday Afternoon*
​
*GLENWOOD SPRINGS - *Governor Polis and Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew observed the extensive damage and around the clock repair and debris clearing efforts performed by CDOT. Governor Polis and Director Lew announced that Glenwood Canyon would reopen Saturday afternoon.



*“Clearing and ultimately re-opening the I-70 corridor through Glenwood Springs is our top transportation priority. This corridor plays a vital role in our state’s economy and for many Coloradans traveling to get to work, school, and homes along the western slope. CDOT and State Emergency Operations have made tremendous progress in cleaning up and removing tons of mud and debris that have completely blocked off access to this roadway,”* said Governor Polis. “*As the state recovers from this incident and reopens this corridor Saturday afternoon, we will continue to need strong federal partners in the Biden administration and our federal delegation.”*



Governor Jared Polis visited the I-70 corridor in Glenwood Canyon to survey the damage caused by devastating mudslides in the surrounding area as well as view progress made to clean up and reopen the canyon route.



Governor Polis was joined by Shoshana Lew, Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, and state officials. The Governor thanks the state’s Public Safety team, the federal delegation, including Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet as well as partners at the US Department of Transportation and Federal Highways for their efforts.



There is extensive work to be accomplished over the next four days that includes completing material removal at westbound Milepost 123.5 and the state commends Xcel for speeding up the extensive work they need to accomplish to hit this timeline.



Since mudslides closed I-70 in Glenwood Canyon, Governor Polis has taken immediate action to provide additional resources to reopen the canyon and help mitigate future disasters. Governor Polis issued two state disaster declarations that authorized the use of the Colorado National Guard for traffic control, debris management, and unarmed law enforcement support.



Additionally, Governor Polis requested federal funds to assist with the recovery efforts, which the Federal Highway Administration approved releasing $11.6 million to Colorado one day after the Polis administration made the request.



CDOT crews have removed thousands of tons of debris from the canyon.



The Governor’s disaster declaration also activates the State’s Emergency Operations Plan and directs State agencies to coordinate their response while also providing additional funds to respond to the damage and repairs needed in areas affected by burn scar, flooding and slides.



Coloradans can find the latest updates and information on alternative routes at www.codot.gov/travel/glenwoodcanyon.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

kayakfreakus said:


> Glad I was wrong, hopefully it stays open:
> 
> *Governor Polis, CDOT Announce Glenwood Canyon to Reopen on Saturday Afternoon*
> ​
> ...


I'm glad it's opening up again, but I'm curious where this article came from? 

It reads like our idiot governor was actually in there with a shovel single-handedly moving the mud! 

Add Hickenstupid and it's a real dog and pony show. Couldn't manage to write the article without mentioning Biden either lol

It's simply amazes me how these disasters are being politicized, like the politicians actually had something to do with it.... polis had as much to do with the fire that set up the perfect storm with the monsoons to cause the mud slides in the first place and now he's single-handedly fixed the problem! 

What a state our media is in... Deplorable, but I am glad the roads opening up again lol


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

It was a CDOT press release


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

kayakfreakus said:


> It was a CDOT press release


That explains that, thanks freakus!


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

MNichols said:


> I'm glad it's opening up again, but I'm curious where this article came from?
> 
> It reads like our idiot governor was actually in there with a shovel single-handedly moving the mud!
> 
> ...


It really doesn't read that way at all.... it reads like he went and had a look at a major transportation infrastructure emergency with the CDOT administrator. He's the governor, that is part of his job... you know...governing. All of this emergency stuff has to go through the Governors office regardless of who it is or their political affiliation. His office provides the state emergency funds, along with requesting and administering federal emergency funds. I didn't see ANY politics in this... you put that on them. The only one making it political is you.

Would you rather he sit in his office and not do anything just because you don't agree with the guys political affiliation? If a republican governor did the same thing...would you see it the same way?


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

MNichols said:


> It's simply amazes me how these disasters are being politicized, like the politicians actually had something to do with it...


You're the only one here politicizing this. And yes, politicians had a ton to do with it.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

gnarsify said:


> You're the only one here politicizing this. And yes, politicians had a ton to do with it.


Well, I suppose it's open to interpretation, and I never brought his political affiliation into it, if he were Republican and did the same dumbass shit that he does, I'd have just as much a problem with it.

I read it and it was like the good old boys club went out to take a gander, and decided to take credit for it all.

Doesn't have to be Democrat versus GOP, if you can read that press release and tell me it wasn't political.....

EM, Yes I understand what the governor does. They still taught civics when I was in school...

And another thing, unarmed law enforcement support... Really?


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

A bit more info in this article than the original Cdot release...

Saturday afternoon target for reopening Glenwood Canyon to one lane each direction


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

mkashzg said:


> A bit more info in this article than the original Cdot release...
> 
> Saturday afternoon target for reopening Glenwood Canyon to one lane each direction


Now that's what I would expect from a press release... Real live information that's relevant. 

Thank you sir.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

MNichols said:


> Well, I suppose it's open to interpretation, and I never brought his political affiliation into it, if he were Republican and did the same dumbass shit that he does, I'd have just as much a problem with it.
> 
> I read it and it was like the good old boys club went out to take a gander, and decided to take credit for it all.
> 
> ...


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Nice.. I'd expect that from Charlie, but not you..


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

MNichols said:


> And another thing, unarmed law enforcement support... Really?


they didn't want it to sound like a state of martial law had been declared.

There's a pic of a CO NG soldier standing next to an up-armored HMWWV...it's not so much of a stretch that someone could insinuate that armed troops had been sent in.


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## Acheron (Apr 5, 2021)

This is excellent news!! Glad to hear and maybe I can get back to some mountain places I've been itching to get to!

Anyone seen an update on hanging lake? Last video I saw showed it was a mudhole


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## outdoorco75 (Aug 6, 2021)

Good news









I-70 to reopen through Glenwood Canyon on Saturday


Gov. Polis visited Glenwood Canyon to survey the damage caused by mudslides that have kept the road closed for nearly two weeks.




www.9news.com


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Hanging Lake Hike - Get Reservation and Permit on VisitGlenwood.com


Glenwood Springs, Colorado - Hanging Lake: Make a Reservation. Choose between shuttle or bike to the trailhead. All reservations include a permit to hike!




visitglenwood.com





Says it's closed, but not what condition it's in.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

According to cotrip.org I 70 is now open, one lane east and west





COtrip Traveler Information


Reports regarding traffic incidents, winter road conditions, traffic cameras, active and planned construction, etc.




cotrip.org


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

And, the "story" if you will on why CDOT lied about Independence Pass








Did CDOT lie? Internal CDOT emails show why employees decided to misinform drivers


If you’ve ever thought your GPS system in your car or on your phone was misleading you about road closures, you may have been right all along.




www.thedenverchannel.com


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

MNichols said:


> And, the "story" if you will on why CDOT lied about Independence Pass
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Marshall.

One beauty of the state government is news organizations are able to get ahold of their internal correspondence with a simple FOIA request. If corporation screwed up like this, they'd have to file a lawsuit and wait for a subpoena to get those "proprietary internal records" of some kind of screw-up or other corporate malfeasance. And the media was able to do this pretty quickly too, less than 2 weeks out and their internal emails that tell the story for all to see are in the public. Pretty cool when you think about it, and something I bet doesn't happen in many other countries.

So let's boil this down:

A) They were getting "...7,000 to 9,000 cars a day instead of the normal 1,000 cars a day" they usually get on Independence, and presumably a similar level of overcrowding on Cottonwood,
B) They were getting lots of yahoos in RVs as well as commercial traffic going over Independence and Cottonwood,
C) This created much more hazardous conditions than normal,
D) Out of concern someone's Winnebago or a semi or tanker truck would take a 1000' plunge off the road, a CDOT manager made the call to have the roads marked closed on the apps, and stepped up to document that he would assume responsibility to cover the actions of his staff,
E) Later that day the CDOT manager realized he screwed up, reversed his order to have the roads marked as open and admitted to his staff he had “...the best of intentions, but bad judgment,”
F) Now they're going to try to use signage and traffic control signals to mitigate the hazards posed by the traffic,
G) The Pitkin County’s Sheriff’s Office also participated in the deception with their public outreach via Twitter,
H) As soon as Governor Polis heard false information had been provided, and CDOT had reversed their tactic, he "...let CDOT Director Shoshana Lew know that she did the right thing and complimented her on stopping the effort to provide misinformation to the public about road closures."

It was certainly bad judgement and has damaged CDOT's reputation to have used this approach. I'll also point out buried in the article is the nugget that this incident wasn't the first time they'd done this: "We closed it on the map apps last year and it was successful in reducing incidents.”

In hindsight it's obvious they should have closed the road to CMVs and vehicles over a certain length / weight, perhaps even limited the number of vehicles per hour. Maybe there was no way to effectively do that or to have "Limited Closure" messages pop up on the apps and they didn't have the enough LEO manpower available to enforce that kind of closure or act as traffic cops at the bottom of the passes. From the limited info in the article we don't really know what other kind of practical and administrative constraints they were dealing with or what alternatives they hashed out in the "dozens of emails" Denver7 obtained. Also consider that if there was a medical emergency the first responders would have been dealing with unprecedented traffic jams to get to the crash site. And we'll never know if they actually prevented a vacationing family from plunging to their deaths or a tanker truck from having a major fuel spill in a headwaters drainage, or maybe even had a flaming tanker start a forest fire, but if that had happened, lots of folks would be enraged CDOT hadn't done more to prevent it. One alternative would have been to just close the passes altogether.

So, yeah, it was a ham-fisted approach that damaged the state's reputation, CDOT shouldn't have done this, and I'd bet some stern words have been used within the agency and other parts of the state government in the fallout from this. 

So in addition to not putting out false information, what else should they do next time something like this happens?

1) Use "limited closures" to prevent CMVs and RVs from going over the passes (can they do this currently under the laws we have now?),
2) Work with the multiple navigation app vendors to get better & more detailed info out on the apps (probably more complicated than you'd expect),
3) Get traffic control equipment in place more quickly,
4) Maybe post LEOs at the bottom of the passes to enforce limited closures or other limitations?
5) Use the sign boards all around the state to announce "limited closures"
6) Get the info onto the 511 system.

What else do you recommend?


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

I think maybe not lying to the public is a good start….idk…doesn’t matter how they try to word it even by acknowledging they messed up….they really messed up lying to the public….should have just told us the issues they were having and had LEO do their best directing traffic….honesty goes a long way especially in the current political climate…


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

Oh gosh, make it political when you haven’t a clue what is actually happening and the reasons for decisions made in a moment to protect the public. I was on McLain Flats one day early in the extended I70 closure. State troopers and Pitkin and Eagle county sheriffs were doing everything to stop unwitting and deliberate ignorance of the limitations of Independence Pass. Signage, extra contact, more signage with fines, more rerouting and yet they continued. I watched with binoculars as a state trooper convinced an Amazon driver to turn around on the Passover between the divided highway. Although the trucker had plenty of time to swing 180 while oncoming traffic had a red light, the moment the light turned green a car rocketed down valley and then lost control passing the semi which had little time to accelerate resulting in a multi car pileup requiring all available responders to react. That driver was cited with DUI. While responding, semis, campers, trailers proceeded up independence pass until one lost a wheel over the shoulder and closed the road until a tow could clear them. And, while greatly inconvenienced, everyone was safe. 

I don’t think anything nefarious or political was behind the responders actions.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

I don’t think it was political in any capacity. I don’t think there was another agenda behind any of it. For gods sake it was a natural disaster. However it’s hard for people to not be upset and be pissed off at the state of Colorado for lying in any capacity. No matter how messed up the situation is. Doesn’t matter, people will lose trust. I think that’s what we are seeing here, a lot of people at the end of their rope. Not willing to give a pass, no matter what good intentions were behind it.


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

It’d be nice for the RFV if Indy pass and Glenwood Canyon were always closed


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## gnarsify (Oct 5, 2020)

Getting the thread back on track...some video of Shoshone post flood.




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1164926110655044






__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=574828757208386


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

I like the look of the new maneater! Well the reopening lasted 11 days, will be interested to see the impact of the storms, looks like that area is being hit pretty hard.


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