I-70 Shutting Down For Three Hours on Wednesday

Interstate 70 is being closed for three hours today. (December 18)

I-70 travelers will need to make other travel plans today from 9:00 until noon as the interstate is closed in both directions in the Idaho Springs area for rock blasting.

The Colorado Department of Transportation needs to do the blasting before installing some rock mesh in an area where two rockslides happened in November. Early snow and moisture has loosened rock in the area necessitating the immediate rockfall mitigation

Westbound traffic will be turned around at Beaver Brook/Floyd Hill (Exit 248) beginning at 9 a.m., and eastbound traffic will be stopped at Silverthorne (Exit 205) and US 6 Loveland Pass at 8:15 a.m.Eastbound traffic east of Silverthorne will be stopped at Dumont/Downieville (Exit 234) at 9 a.m.The alternate route for westbound traffic will take about two hours. This route is C-470 east to US 285 south to CO 9 North, which takes you through Frisco back to I-70 westbound

The good news for I-70 motorists is that weather today in the upper elevations should not be a problem. The Vail Pass forecast is calling for gusty winds, a high of 33 and no snow.

You can get more information about today's closure and I-70 travel at cotrip.org.