SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — Just take a look at the video from AirTracker7, and you’ll see why we’re in store for an extended closure on Loveland Pass.
A large chunk of Earth, approximately 100 feet wide and 15 to 20 feet deep, broke off from the side of the mountain at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, burying U.S. Highway 6 at mile marker 226.
No injuries or vehicle damage were reported.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said in a news release that the slide was caused by material above the roadway that became saturated by melting snow.
CDOT said the area where Sunday’s landslide occurred saw a partial slide in 2003, but it stabilized on its own shortly afterward, with no history of movement over the past 22 years.
- AirTracker7 flew over Loveland Pass Monday, beaming back video of the destructive power of Mother Nature. Watch in the player below:
The agency stated that cleanup operations will be conducted in two stages.
The first stage will remove the mud and silt from the travel lanes. Once that is complete, the slide will be reassessed to ensure it is stable.
The second stage will clean the remainder of the slide.
CDOT stated that this operation could take a considerable amount of time, and they urge motorists, hikers, and cyclists to stay away from the area until the cleanup is complete.
Meanwhile, trucks carrying hazardous materials are being escorted through the I-70 Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, affecting traffic flow.
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