I-70 reopens in western Colorado after mudslide cleanup

Crews make progress cleaning up the lower eastbound decks of Interstate 70 near MM120 after a mudslide swept down the cliffs in Glenwood Canyon in the area of the Grizzly Creek burn scar on Sunday near Glenwood Springs. (Chelsea Self/Glenwood Springs Post Independent via AP)

Chelsea Self

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Crews make progress cleaning up the lower eastbound decks of Interstate 70 near MM120 after a mudslide swept down the cliffs in Glenwood Canyon in the area of the Grizzly Creek burn scar on Sunday near Glenwood Springs. (Chelsea Self/Glenwood Springs Post Independent via AP)

Chelsea Self

GLENWOOD SPRINGS – A portion of Interstate 70 in western Colorado closed by a series of mudslides near where a wildfire burned last year reopened Monday.

Eastbound lanes of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon opened at 3 p.m. and westbound lanes opened about three hours later.

The largest of the mudslides that happened on Sunday along Colorado’s main east-west highway flowed down the same drainage as the one that happened Saturday along the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. The fire, which started in August, burned about 51 square miles.

Sunday’s main mudslide reached 80 feet wide and 5 feet deep in areas.

On Saturday, the mud spread 70 feet wide and was 5 feet deep in places. Saturday’s highway closure lasted several hours.

Travelers may have to expect on-and-off closures of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon when rainfall is expected in the area this summer, said Kane Schneider, a CDOT transportation maintenance employee.