GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — The danger of mudslides and debris flow from the Grizzly Creek Fire has prompted transportation officials to continue restricting access to rest areas, the bike path and river access through Glenwood Canyon.
Travelers on I-70 and visitors are not allowed to stop in Glenwood Canyon, to ensure that the Colorado Department of Transportation and law enforcement can evacuate the canyon as quickly as possible in the event of a safety closure on I-70, CDOT said in a release Wednesday.
Rest areas, the bike path and river access have been closed since the human-caused Grizzly Creek Fire started Aug. 10, one mile east or Glenwood Springs. It charred 32,431 acres in the canyon, and was listed as being 91 percent contained as of Oct. 6.
The Glenwood Canyon bike path will remain closed between No Name (Exit 119) and Bair Ranch (Exit 129) until 2021, so that crews can repair damage caused by rockfall during the Grizzly Creek Fire. Limited use of the bike path is allowed from Glenwood Springs to No Name, to allow No Name residents to commute to work by bicycle.
CDOT will reassess conditions this winter to determine when it will be safe to reopen the No Name, Grizzly Creek, Hanging Lake, Shoshone and Bair Ranch rest areas.
