CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo —
Starting Wednesday, Dec.4, Interstate 70 traffic will be periodically stopped in both directions as The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is set to conduct rockfall mitigation to prevent rock slides on westbound I-70 near Idaho Springs.
The work will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. this Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 5 and also next Monday, Dec. 9 through Thursday, Dec. 12.
Work will begin near Mile Point 239 on the west end of Idaho Springs on Wednesday and Thursday and will continue through next week.
Vehicles will be stopped on both directions of I-70 for about 20 minutes while crews remove loose rocks and clean up the highway. Stopped vehicles will then be released before traffic is stopped again.
On Monday, Dec. 9, crews will also scale and drill the rock face next to westbound I-70 near Mile Point 236, just east of Dumont, according to CDOT.
This work will be done in preparation of a blasting scheduled for Wednesday during the day time on Dec. 18.
When blasting occurs, I-70 will be closed in both directions near Mile Point 236 for a few hours. CDOT said that more detailed information regarding the Dec.18 closure, including detours and local access, will be released next week.
The slides came amid nearly record snow for November in parts of Colorado — a storm that closed roads throughout the state. CDOT said that due to the early snow storms and extra moisture this fall, the scaling work must be done as soon as possible to further prevent possible rock slides.
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