Stretch of I-70 in western Colorado shut for repairs Tuesday

The Colorado transportation department says a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero will be closed Tuesday as it continues repairs following a rock slide last month.

It took a week for traffic to restart, first on just one lane and then two, after the Feb. 15 slide that caused extensive damage but no injuries. Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Tracy Trulove says more work is needed to restore four-way traffic, including construction Tuesday on west- and eastbound decks through a deep, narrow canyon. Teams also plan to use a helicopter to place rockfall netting at the site of the slide, about 125 miles east of the Utah border.

The department is recommending detours Tuesday that could add several hours to trips between eastern and western Colorado.