Independence Pass hit with 2 small mudslides Tuesday on Lake County side

Traffic on Independence Pass east of Aspen was impacted Tuesday evening after two mudslides approached Highway 82, officials said in alerts.

In an update Wednesday morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation said there were two slides on the Lake County side of the pass. CDOT was notified at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday there were slides at milemakers 65.4 and 65.5.

“The first slide was contained in the ditch line to the roadway edge, It was around 20 (feet) long and around 4 feet deep,” Elise Thatcher, the northwestern Colorado Regional Communications Manager, said in an email. “The second slide at MM 65.5 was around 20 feet long and 4 feet deep on ditch side, trending into both lanes. The road never closed, as the slide happened to be at a wide spot that allowed traffic to go around it. We were able to clear both slides and the road (fully) reopened around 9:45 p.m.”

A heavy storm cell moved over Independence Pass, which is along Highway 82, just after 5:30 p.m., according to weather radars.