Closed Section Of U.S. 24 Re-Opens

CALHAN – U.S. 24 between here and Limon has re-opened. CDOT began allowing westbound traffic at 6 a.m. Friday, followed by eastbound traffic just before 9 a.m. A worker removed a “Road Closed” sign at the east end of Calhan.

Stacey Stegman of CDOT spoke with NEWSCHANNEL 13 Friday morning, and says crews would try to get U.S. 24 and U.S. 40/287 cleared first. I-70 between Denver and the Kansas line also re-opened around 10 a.m. The work by CDOT crews cleared a through route for drivers headed to Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Many drivers–including truck drivers, delivery men and an Indiana couple celebrating their first wedding anniversary–spend part or all of the overnight hours in their vehicles waiting for U.S. 24 to re-open. Some drivers impatiently headed eastbound before CDOT officially allowed them to. Stegman says that caused a problem as drivers became stuck and slowed down the snow removal process. No person was on duty to direct drivers at the Road Closed sign.

NEWSCHANNEL 13 will continue to track road conditions in the aftermath of the storm.