Hanging Lake Tunnel, I-70, Glenwood Canyon, Colorado - 5 months before the huge rock slide

I regularly travel this route through Glenwood Canyon for business purposes and climbing trips. This particular video was taken in September, 2009 when I was driving westbound toward Grand Junction, Colorado. Five and and a half months later, at 12:09 am Monday morning (March 8, 2010) a rock slide punched large holes in the highway near mile marker 125 (approximately minute 3:05 in this video) on the west side of the tunnels. The rock slide occurred just after midnight, two hours after I had just passed through on yet another business trip, with a 66 ton boulder doing most of the damage. The highway, in both directions, was closed for almost four full days, opening up to single lanes in each direction on Thursday afternoon, March 14th. I drove through it a night later and took a video of the roadwork that I've posted on YouTube as well. Unfortunately you can't see much of the damage but internet archives should help give you a better idea of how badly a 66 ton boulder can damage a highway!

Anyway, Glenwood Canyon is an extremely beautiful place with a very interesting section of Interstate 70 running through it. The highway, and these tunnels, created a lot of controversy during their development due to the huge environmental impact. Nevertheless, the project went through and most of us use this route traveling between Grand Junction and the Denver area (they say there's an average of 25,000 vehicles going through these tunnels each day with I-70 itself, of course, get much heavier use the closer you get to Denver).

I, myself, have driven the route many dozens of times for both business and pleasure...

Here's my personal web page about transportation:
http://www.rogerwendell.com/transportation.html

Here's my page about travel:
http://www.rogerwendell.com/travel.html

09-28-2009

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• hanging
• lake
• tunnel
• glenwood
• canyon
• colorado
• interstate
• 70
• rock
• slide

[HappyComfort]

I saw the news about the rock slide near there. It is beautiful! But I see those huge rock formations! No wonder there was a rock slide. I guess that's just what happens when there is so much rain! Tough if that's your way to work tho eh? I hear an alternate route is about 200 miles. Yikes! But probably worth it to live in such beauty!!! ;-)

[zeekzilch]

@HappyComfort

I made it through just two hours before the big rock slide. I've added a link from this video to one I took at night shortly after they opened the road again.

[ShingleCreek]

That might be my favorite stretch of interstate. Thanks for posting.

Have you ever been through there when there wasn't any road construction? Seems like they are always working on that stretch of road.

[FreewayBrent]

Great video. I'm hoping to showcase this stretch of interstate, some day soon. In the mean time, feel free to watch my I-70 video thru the San Rafael Reef in Utah. Pretty amazing scenery out there, too. 

[azaquihel]

i got the answer for that ........good luck

it may be beutyful it may be a night mare get prepared to be delay for a full day (in the worst case) keep your radio on when traveling trought the rockies it can save you from a bad situation and keep something to drink in your car and  all season tires help a lot

[azaquihel]

thanks for sharing i get there a month ago i run out of battery before i get to the top and i want to show my family this pretty cool place

[josemathews]

nice video. thanks for posting.

i am planning on driving from LosAngeles to Chicago using I-70 during last week of December. Is it safe to drive I-70 during winter months? And what are the chances of delays due to weather? Thanks!