GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon will be closed Thursday night so crews can make emergency repairs, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said.
Eastbound I-70 will be closed starting at Exit 116, the Glenwood Springs exit, through the canyon from 10 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday. The westbound lanes will remain open.
During the closures, drivers should use the northern alternate route, which is Highway 13 from Rifle to Craig, then east on Highway 40 to Steamboat Springs and Kremmling, then south on Highway 9 to Silverthorne.
The alternate route adds approximately two and a half hours of travel time.
CDOT said crews will be paving a temporary lane in the eastbound median in order to shift traffic so work can continue on the reconstruction of the retaining wall.
"Previous planned night time closures for eastbound traffic have been successful in allowing crews to carry out this work as safely as possible," CDOT said in a release. "CDOT appreciates your patience during these closures."
Crews are making repairs to the interstate after it was damaged by mudslides in July.
Extended single-lane closures remain in place through the canyon. A single eastbound lane is closed for 1.5 miles, and a single westbound lane is closed for a half mile.
CDOT automatically closes the flood-prone stretch of highway anytime a Flash Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). Travelers should monitor COtrip.org for road closure information and check the weather forecast before traveling through the area.
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