UPDATE: 9:00 AM, MARCH 11, 2010
CDOT
Maintenance crews began clearing snow in the canyon early this morning
and are now beginning work to make the repairs necessary to open a
single lane of traffic in each direction today. They are clearing rock
debris from all lanes (the blast brought down some dozen larger
boulders (4 feet) and many smaller rocks), making repairs to the
drainage system and completing roadway patching in numerous places.
Crews have already set up traffic control cones/barrels and signage on
the Interstate so that when repairs are complete, the highway can open
quickly. We will send notice as soon as a re-open time is set today.
UPDATE: 8:10 PM, MARCH 10, 2010
Our
geologists returned from the rock mitigation site safely and were very
satisfied with the work that was accomplished today. With the blasting,
there was a clean break of the rock from the slope and all of the rocks
we were concerned about were knocked down. As a result, mitigation work
will not be required tomorrow. Since the blasting brought down
additional rock, crews will have some cleanup work tomorrow along with
drainage work and final pavement repair. The good news is that one lane
of eastbound and westbound I-70 will reopen by the end of the day
tomorrow. We will keep you posted as we get close to a reopening time.
UPDATE: 6:30 PM, MARCH 10, 2010
Crews
blasted the large rock just before 6 PM. CDOT maintenance crews
immediately began work to clear the debris on the highway. They have
worked throughout the day making the repairs necessary to open a lane
of traffic in each direction when rockfall mitigation is complete.
Since we lost daylight, the highway will not open tonight. Crews will
hike to the site tomorrow morning to conduct follow-up rock scaling and
assess the stability. CDOT will make every effort to get some portion
of the Interstate open to traffic tomorrow, March 11. Be assured we
will send an update as soon as we begin any procedures to open a lane. | 
