DENVER — The eastbound lanes of I-70 in DeBeque and Glenwood canyons will be closed for hours this week for the Colorado Department of Transportation to conduct necessary work.
The closure for DeBeque Canyon in western Colorado will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Eastbound drivers will exit the interstate at exit 49, east of Palisade, and onto County Road 45 ½ — also known as the DeBeque cutoff — and then get back on the interstate at exit 62 in DeBeque. Westbound traffic will not be affected.
The closure is necessary so CDOT can conduct rockfall mitigation. Crews will remove loose rock as a preventative measure to ensure drivers are safe from potential rockfalls.
The eastbound lanes of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon will be closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
CDOT recommends most drivers use the northern alternate route on U.S. Highway 40, which will add approximately 2.5 hours to the normal trip. CDOT is asking motorists not to use U.S. Highway 50 because of heavy construction and traffic impacts between Montrose and Gunnison.
CDOT crews will be working to remove a semi-truck that crashed in the canyon last week.
The length of the closure could change depending on weather and other variables.
Drivers can plan their trip and alternate routes on COtrip.org or on the COtrip Planner mobile app.