Motorists stranded after mudslide shuts down Colo. highway


In this photo provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation, equipment works to clear mud and debris from a mudslide on Interstate-70 through Glenwood Canyon, Colo., on Friday, July 30, 2021. Authorities say more than 100 people had to spend the night on the highway, including nearly 30 who took refuge inside a highway tunnel along I-70 in Glenwood Canyon after rain over an area burned by a wildfire triggered the mudslides in Western Colorado. The people were caught with their vehicles Thursday night, July 29, 2021 and it took crews nine hours to carve out a path through the mud to reach them about 6:30 a.m. Friday, Garfield County Sheriff's Office spokesman Walt Stowe said. (Colorado Department of Transportation via AP)

In this photo provided by the Colorado Department of Transportation, equipment works to clear mud and debris from a mudslide on Interstate-70 through Glenwood Canyon, Colo. (Colorado Department of Transportation via AP)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 3:06PM PT – Saturday, July 31, 2021

A massive mudslide trapped more than 100 motorists in Colorado, which led to the closure of a major highway. Reports on Friday mentioned the slide happened the prior evening after heavy rains hit the region where the Grizzly Creek fire burned last year.

The debris covered a section of Interstate 70, about 150 miles west of Denver, and forced a shutdown. At least 29 vehicles were stranded, with the Department of Transportation reporting a total of 108 individuals being either evacuated or moved to a safe place.

“We’re sending a large number of tandem dump trunks, bucket loaders, vac trucks to clean out drainage systems. We’re also sending additional radios,” explained John Lorme of Colorado Department of Transportation. “We’re trying to beef up, on a temporary basis, our cellular communications networks with the Glenwood Canyon area. So, it’s all hands on deck.”

The interstate is expected to be closed throughout the weekend for cleanup amid the threat of more rain in the area.

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Carley Joanou
Author: Carley Joanou

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