RAW: Mudslide cleanup in Colorado closes part of I-70

Both westbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened Sunday morning in Glenwood Canyon after mudslides the day before in several locations, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

CDOT said there were five slides in all, with the first one happening at 3:20 p.m. Some of them were 9 feet deep and covered hundreds of feet of roadway, according to CDOT.

Eastbound lanes of I-70 will remain closed for much of the day on Sunday from West Rifle to Canyon Creek for continued debris and flash flood warnings, CDOT said.

Motorists can take the northern alternate route via Steamboat Springs, CDOT said. Those who choose to wait out the closure must do so at somewhere off I-70, as waiting on the roadway is not allowed.

It's the fourth closure in a week. Earlier this week, CDOT warned drivers about the potential for closures and prepare to use alternate routes if necessary.

The heavy rain can bring down mud onto the highway due to burn scars from the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned near the highway last summer. That is exactly what happened last Sunday when an 80 foot wide and 5-foot deep mudslide covered the highway.

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