Updated I-70 Glenwood Canyon safety protocol continues for summer

Statewide — The updated safety protocol continues for I-70 in Glenwood Canyon as the Western Slope enters the summer monsoon season. The Colorado Department of Transportation worked with the National Weather Service, U.S. Geological Survey and partner agencies and stakeholders earlier this year to update weather thresholds that trigger safety closures. More precipitation is now required before a roadway safety closure will be put in place. With these updated thresholds, CDOT and partner agencies continue to anticipate that as many as 50% fewer safety closures will be necessary in 2023 for I-70, rest areas and the Glenwood Canyon recreation path. The protocol will continue to protect the traveling public and recreational users, while also reducing safety closures without floods or mudslides.

In many ways the protocol are the same as last year. Travelers should anticipate closures for I-70, the recreation path and rest areas if there is heavy rain in the forecast. Here are the I-70 Glenwood Canyon safety protocol thresholds for 2023:

• If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for the Grizzly Creek Burn scar, there will be a safety closure for I-70, Glenwood Canyon rest areas and recreation path.
• If one inch of rain is in the forecast for the next hour, there will be a safety closure for I-70, Glenwood Canyon rest areas and recreation path.
• If 0.6 inches of rain is in the forecast for the next 30 minutes, there will be a safety closure for I-70, Glenwood Canyon rest areas and recreation path.
• If a Flash Flood Watch is issued for the Grizzly Creek Burn scar, there will be a safety closure for the rest areas and recreation path.
• If the forecast shows a 50% or greater probability of exceeding the thresholds above (1 hour and 30 minutes) in the next 24 hours, the rest areas and recreational path will be closed.
• Note: The forecast for the next 15 minutes is no longer a trigger for safety closures.

Here is a comparison of the thresholds in 2023 and 2022:

2023

• One Hour – 1.0 inch of rain
• 30 Minutes - 0.6 inches of rain
• 15 Minutes – NA
• If there is a 50% or greater probability of exceeding the thresholds above in the next 24 hours, the rest areas and recreational path will be closed.

2022

• One Hour - 0.75 inches of rain
• 30 Minutes - 0.40 inches of rain
• 15 Minutes - 0.25 inches of rain
• If there was a 30% or greater probability of exceeding the thresholds in the next 24 hours, the rest areas and recreational path were closed.

If a Flash Flood Watch is issued for the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar in Glenwood Canyon, CDOT will have personnel and equipment on standby in preparation for a closure. Employees are stationed at closure points at exit 116 (Glenwood Springs) and exit 133 (Dotsero). Crews will also be on standby at exit 87 (West Rifle). During a Flash Flood Watch, crews will evacuate and close rest areas in Glenwood Canyon and the recreation path. Evacuating travelers from the rest areas and recreation path requires significant time, so closing those locations ahead of time is necessary to allow a swift and safe evacuation of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon if a closure is needed.

If there is a Flash Flood Warning issued for the Grizzly Creek burn scar, CDOT will close I-70 in Glenwood Canyon from Exit 116 (Glenwood Springs) to Exit 133 (Dotsero). A closure point will also be in place at exit 87 (West Rifle) to detour eastbound traffic onto northbound Colorado Highway 13. All traffic in Glenwood Canyon will immediately be evacuated from I-70 in Glenwood Canyon. The rest areas and path will be closed and evacuated. CDOT’s COtrip.org website and smartphone app will display closure information in the alerts and on the map. Motorists will continue to have access to Glenwood Springs and the Roaring Fork Valley. Having an additional closure point west of Glenwood Springs allows CDOT, CSP and partner agencies to safely manage a closure, allowing emergency vehicles to pass through closure points and without requiring motorists to wait on I-70 for an extended period of time.

Mudslides in July 2021 prompted an extended safety closure for I-70 for approximately two weeks. Very little flooding took place in Glenwood Canyon in 2022, affecting only the recreational trail. CDOT has conducted extensive rockfall and debris flows prevention work in Glenwood Canyon. Crews will periodically conduct rockfall removal and related work in the canyon.

There have been extended I-70 closures in Glenwood Canyon in 2023 due to vehicle crashes. This spring, CDOT took additional measures to prevent and respond to severe motor vehicle crashes in the canyon. Signage has been increased to warn freight motorists to sharp curves and lowered speeds. During poor weather, CDOT may pace traffic through the canyon to keep motorists at a safe speed. Colorado State Patrol may increase speed enforcement. In order to reduce extended closures due to crashes, CDOT will also reopen one lane of I-70 during crash clean-up.

Glenwood Canyon Rest Areas and Recreation Path

Travelers can view closures for the Glenwood Canyon rest areas and recreation path on COtrip. First, go to the COtrip.org map. Next, select the “Rest Areas & Welcome Centers” layer. If the Grizzly Creek Rest Area and the Bair Ranch Rest Area display as closed, click on either rest area to see written information. If the recreation path is closed, the closure will be included in the written information. Rest area and trail users can also check the status of the rest areas and recreation path by calling CDOT’s Region 3 customer service information line at 970-243-2368, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

CDOT must make sure the traveling public is as safe as possible in Glenwood Canyon. This means CDOT and partner agencies must be able to safely evacuate the canyon as quickly as possible if an I-70 safety closure is necessary. If the recreation path or rest areas are open, crews cannot evacuate the canyon quickly. This means safety closures of the rest areas and recreation path in Glenwood Canyon are necessary.

If the rest areas and path are closed due to the forecast, they will continue to be closed until the forecast improves. In some cases, this will mean they are closed overnight or for more than one day at a time. Unfortunately this is necessary to ensure the safety of trail users and the traveling public. CDOT recommends trail users have a back-up plan in case the recreation path is closed.

The Hanging Lake Rest Area (exit 125) is only open to motorists with hiking reservations for the Hanging Lake Trail. No other motorists can park at Hanging Lake Rest Area. More information about Hanging Lake Trail reservations is available at https://visitglenwood.com/hanginglake, 970-384-6309 and [email protected]. CDOT does not handle hiking reservations or have real-time information about reservations or parking.

River Access

Commercial river guide services, including rafting companies, continue to have access to the Grizzly Creek and Shoshone Power Plant exits during rest area and recreation path closures, unless a Flash Flood Warning is issued and I-70 is closed. CDOT and partner agencies continue to coordinate with river outfitters. Commercial river trips are limited in number and closely tracked, and companies can be notified immediately if an evacuation is necessary. Companies with access during rest area and recreation path closures have committed to evacuating their customers if there is a Flash Flood Warning, or mudslides, and have liability insurance in place.

Be Prepared: Travel Impacts

Motorists planning to travel on I-70, visit rest areas or use the recreation path in Glenwood Canyon should pay close attention to weather forecasts. If there is rain in the forecast, it is possible there will be a safety closure of I-70, rest areas and recreation path. Travelers should use COtrip.org for planning an alternate route in the event of an I-70 closure.

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!