GLENWOOD SPRINGS—“It will be days,not weeks when I-70 reopens in Glenwood Canyon.” So says Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshanna Lew. She says because of the weather and unpredictable fire behavior, it’s impossible to give a specific date. She says C-DOT is in constant communication with fire officials as well as engineers and geologists to reopen the interstate as soon as it’s deemed safe. Mike Goolsby, C-DOT’s Regional Transportation Director for Northwest Colorado says going into the 12th consecutive day, it’s the longest closure on record of I-70 through the canyon. Goolsby says several things have to take place before I-70 can reopen. One of them has already taken place; the operations staff has returned to the Hanging Lake Tunnel. He says that was goal number one. Goolsby says the fire and subsequent rockfalls did quite a bit of damage to the interstate during a major, multi-million dollar repaving project. Fortunately he says the project was ahead of schedule and crews should be able to finish it this fall. The new polyester concrete that was put down however was impacted and will need to be repaired. Shoshanna Lew says C-DOT is dealing with travel restrictions and challenges all over the state because of wildfires that so far have burned over 175,000 acres.
