Vail Pass reopens westbound after avalanche; eastbound lanes remain closed
VAIL — Westbound Interstate 70 at Vail Pass has reopened as of 12:35 p.m. Tuesday following an avalanche early this morning.
Eastbound lanes remain closed.
The closure began at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday. Three semis were caught in the slide but no injuries are reported. A photo from the Colorado State Patrol shows a semi truck with its cab partially buried.
The slide occurred in the area known as The Narrows, four miles west of the summit. Crews are on scene trying to clear the roadway.
Crews were reporting 4 feet on snow on the roadway in some areas with as much as 15 feet of snow on the road in other areas. The slide primarily covered the westbound lanes but made it into the eastbound lanes as well, CDOT spokeswoman Tracy Trulove said.
The closure begins eastbound at the main Vail exit and westbound at Copper Mountain.
I-70 is also closed in both directions between Georgetown and Silverthorne as of 10:40 a.m.
Prior to the avalanche, Vail Pass was closed on and off in both directions starting at 5:30 p.m. Monday as a winter storm pounded the area.
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