DENVER — Drivers beware: it's sun glare season at Floyd Hill.
That's the message from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) as the sun's rays create blinding glare for drivers heading east up Floyd Hill on Interstate 70.
The glare, which is a problem from November through February, can be severe enough to trigger safety closures on I-70 in the morning. The intense glare occurs as far east as Genesee beginning around sunrise and lasting until around 8:30 a.m., CDOT said. The closures average between 45 minutes and an hour.
The glare is especially bad when there is leftover moisture on the roadway from a storm or from pre-storm road treatment materials, according to CDOT. Factor in steep hills, sharp turns and unknown scenarios like wildlife crossing the highway, and CDOT said the closures become necessary.
Decisions to make sun glare closures at Floyd Hill are made on a case-by-case basis, CDOT said, in collaboration with the Colorado State Patrol.
When a sun glare closure is in place, CDOT routes drivers to U.S. 6 at the bottom of Floyd Hill. From there, drivers can stay on U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon or take the eastbound I-70 frontage road and get back on I-70 at Beaver Brook.
CDOT warns truckers that there are height restrictions in the tunnels along U.S. 6 in Clear Creek Canyon, so no vehicles taller than 12 feet, seven inches can use that route.
Drivers are urged to pay attention to CDOT's overhead message boards beginning just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. They can check for road conditions on cotrip.org.
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