The yearly morning closures of eastbound Interstate 70 at Floyd Hill due to sun glare will begin soon, and will last through February, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced on Thursday morning.
The closures are put in place on a day-by-day basis, depending on the conditions. On sunny mornings, CDOT and Colorado State Patrol (CSP) will close the interstate as a safety precaution, as the glare can blind drivers.
"The eastbound sun glare can become blinding for drivers, especially when there is leftover moisture on the roadway from a storm or from pre-storm road treatment materials," CDOT said. "On top of that, mountain driving conditions include steep hills, sharp turns, and possibly wildlife crossing the highway. For these reasons, the sun glare safety closures at Floyd Hill become necessary. This is a unified effort between CSP and CDOT to keep motorists as safe as possible."
When a sun glare closure is in place, drivers who are in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near Floyd Hill will be rerouted at exit 244, at the bottom of the hill, to get on US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon. Drivers can stay on that highway, or can jump on the eastbound I-70 frontage road (US 40) and get back onto the interstate at exit 248 for Beaver Brook. Delays may reach an hour.
Drivers headed east on I-70 can learn about the latest info on sun glares on the overhead message boards beginning east of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel, or by visiting COtrip.org.
This year, the first closure could happen as early as Nov. 3.
"The sun’s angle, in combination with the hill and the highway’s configuration, can create a blinding sun glare for drivers as they head eastbound up Floyd Hill (about Mile Points 244 to 248 – east of Idaho Springs)," CDOT said. "The intense sun glare occurs as far east as Genesee beginning around sunrise and lasting until around 8:30 a.m."
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