Interstate 70 in Colorado has been opened one way in each direction after being closed since Monday by a rock slide, and speed limits through the area have been reduced to 40 mph, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Work crews finished clearing the rocks that began tumbling off the face of Glenwood Canyon Monday, closing the highway for about 17 miles between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero.
One lane eastbound and one westbound were opened Thursday through the 17-mile stretch,
In addition to the 40 mph limit, CDOT said loads over 14-feet wide were prohibited from traveling through the work area.
The rock slide was so violent that boulders punched holes through elevated portions of the roadbed and CDOT said it will take weeks or maybe months to repair the interstate, which is a major route across the Rocky Mountains.
The reopening was delayed in part because work crews had to hike 900 feet up the canyon wall and dynamite sections of loose rock that threatened to crash down on the highway.
By Michele Fuetsch
Staff Reporter
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