Snow removal personnel in Colorado’s high mountains have been working hard during the severe winter storm that is presently affecting travel. This covers the whole Interstate 70 mountain section, which saw some issues despite the crews’ efforts on Tuesday.
Traffic on I-70’s eastbound lanes from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel came to a halt in the afternoon. The Colorado Department of Transportation issued a safety closure in that section of Summit County due to the snow accumulation, which was causing many car spinouts.
CDOT cameras captured automobiles caught in stationary traffic during the safety shutdown. Someone jumped out of their automobile and started shoveling in the middle of the roadway.
Other drivers and passengers began getting in and out of their vehicles.
Then, at one point, each trapped driver had to do their best to pull out from the middle of the road so that an ambulance could pass.
The safety closure was lifted before midnight, but around 5 p.m., the eastbound lanes were closed again. Other areas of I-70 in Colorado’s mountains remained open, though travelers had to travel slowly due to the icy, treacherous road conditions.
CDOT issued an alert on their website, cotrip.org. “Long-duration moderate to heavy snowfall rates will make mountain driving extremely challenging through tonight and maybe much of Wednesday. While the majority of impacts will be caused by the heavy snowfall, stronger winds will also support areas of blowing snow and impaired visibility, particularly over the passes in the central and southern Alps.