Sinkhole closes lane on I-70 near Twin Tunnels

IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. – A sinkhole about 15 feet deep and 14 feet wide has opened up on Interstate 70 near the Central City Parkway, closing the left eastbound lane of the highway just east of the Twin Tunnels.

The Colorado Department of Transportation said crews learned of the sinkhole Thursday afternoon.

No injuries or damage to vehicles were reported, but the left eastbound lane isn’t expected to reopen until Friday. Heavy backups are being reported in the Idaho Springs area.

CDOT says the sinkhole may have opened up due to a couple of mine shafts weakening underneath the highway.

Meanwhile, work continues to fix a 100-foot-deep sinkhole beside U.S. 24 on Tennessee Pass. That sinkhole opened up when the soil gave way above an abandoned, collapsed railroad tunnel.