Colorado Governor Jared Polis says that a busy interstate shut down for mudslides will reopen on Saturday.
I-70 through Glenwood Canyon will reopen to traffic on the afternoon of Saturday, August 14, according to a joint statement from Polis and the Colorado Department of Transportation issued on Wednesday.
Polis admits that there is still “extensive work to be accomplished over the next four days” in order to get debris cleared and the interstate reopened.
The I-70 corridor through Glenwood Canyon has been closed since late July after heavy rains led to flooding and mudslides that caused damage that crews described as “unlike anything they had seen before.”
“Clearing and ultimately re-opening the I-70 corridor through Glenwood Springs is our top transportation priority. This corridor plays a vital role in our state’s economy and for many Coloradans traveling to get to work, school, and homes along the western slope. CDOT and State Emergency Operations have made tremendous progress in cleaning up and removing tons of mud and debris that have completely blocked off access to this roadway,” said Governor Polis. “As the state recovers from this incident and reopens this corridor Saturday afternoon, we will continue to need strong federal partners in the Biden administration and our federal delegation.”
Polis requested and received $11.6 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration to speed up the reopening of the I-70. He also issued two disaster declarations that allowed for the deployment of the Colorado National Guard to aid in traffic control, debris management, and unarmed law enforcement support.