Eastbound I-70 reopens near East Vail following vehicle recovery
The Colorado Department of Transportation says that the closure is expected to last at least 6 hours and drivers should expect an additional 90 minutes of driving time
Colorado Department of Transportation/Courtesy photo
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed eastbound Interstate 70 at Exit 180 to East Vail a little after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, to remove commercial motor vehicle wreckage. The roadway reopened a little after 2 p.m.
The closure followed a four-vehicle incident last week.
The transportation department said in a news release that the closure was planned for when traffic volume is typically the lowest.
During the closure, traffic will be detoured off I-70 at Exit 180, which will send drivers traveling east on U.S. 24 to Leadville before directing them onto Colorado Highway 91 north to rejoin eastbound I-70 at Copper Mountain, according to the news release.
Motorists should be prepared to add an additional 90 minutes to their travel time.
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The vehicle recovery follows a crash that occurred Jan. 8 around 8 p.m., the news release states. Colorado State Patrol and local fire and emergency services responded to the crash that involved a commercial motor vehicle traveling westbound that crossed the median and collided with another commercial motor vehicle as well as passenger vehicles that were traveling east. Fuel leaking from the diesel tank required hazmat cleanup, preventing vehicle recovery at the time.
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