Interstate 70 closed in both directions on Monday after torrential rain and hail brought flooding between Silt and New Castle. US Highway 6, an alternate route, also closed for a few hours. The interstate remained closed Tuesday. Only at about 6:30 Wednesday morning was the opening of a single eastbound lane announced.
With the 4-lane highway through Western Colorado closed, an endless stream of semi-trucks and other travelers jammed the 2-lane highway and filtered onto nearby country lanes. The opening this morning of a single lane has eased, but not ended, gridlock.
Water was about 7 feet deep on the highway Monday night, according to CDOT. By Tuesday morning, there was still about 3 feet of water.
KDNK will continue to report on local emergencies.
