GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Interstate 70 was closed in both directions through Glenwood Canyon due to a flash flood warning Monday evening, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said.
The interstate was closed from Glenwood Springs (exit 116) to Dotsero (exit 133). The flash flood warning was issued at 6:20 p.m. The interstate reopened around 8:20 p.m.
> VIdeo above from April: CDOT preparing for spring, summer in Glenwood Canyon
CDOT automatically closes the flood-prone stretch of highway anytime a flash flood warning is issued by the National Weather Service.
The burn scar from the 2020 Grizzly Creek fire is located along the highway, and burn scars are especially vulnerable to flash flooding due to the lack of vegetation to absorb moisture. As a result, flood-driven mudslides are common near or even over the interstate.
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