Part of I-70 closed due to another avalanche, alternate route shutdown

Part of I-70 closed early Thursday morning due to an avalanche.

The Colorado State Patrol Eagle tweeted about the avalanche just after midnight. The interstate was closed between Vail and Copper Mountain. The closure later extended out to Frisco. One tow truck driver was caught in the avalanche and is expected to be okay.

Shortly after I-70 closed, Highway 91, which was an alternate route to the closure, closed as well. An avalanche near the Conoco station in Copper Mountain ruptured a natural-gas pipeline. Highway 91 was closed between Leadville and Copper Mountain.

People near Copper Mountain evacuated the area due to the gas leak.

Highway 24 was open, but drivers were not able to access Highway 91.

An avalanche mitigation team waited until daylight to conduct a mission at the Narrows on Vail Pass.

As of 8:08 a.m., I-70 and Hwy 91 continue to be closed. There is no estimated time of reopening. Crews say it will take them several hours to clear I-70.

This isn’t the first time an avalanche closed I-70 this week, the interstate was also closed on Tuesday and Sunday.

Arapahoe Basin and Highway 6 over Loveland Pass did not open Thursday.

Michelle Peulen with the Colorado Department of Transportation says some of the avalanche slides are in areas that haven’t moved in decades. Sunday’s slides in the 10 Mile Canyon area haven’t moved since the ’80s, and the Disney path that slid Wednesday hadn’t moved since 1957.

Peulen advised drivers to “travel with patience” and said CDOT is doing its best to ensure travel is safe.

KRDO is working to bring you updates on this developing story.