CDOT continuing to monitor mudslide conditions on I-70

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- On Tuesday, Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon was reopened after a mudslide kept it closed from the weekend through Monday.

Colorado is more vulnerable to mudslides because wildfires leave a lasting impact on the land, and Glenwood Canyon is an example of the perfect storm for a mudslide, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Last year, an intense wildfire burned through that area and now there's been heavy and prolonged rain. CDOT says once an area in steep terrain is burned, the conditions are perfect for a mudslide or falling rock. You can see mudslides on unburned ground, but it's not as common.

The CDOT Geohazard Program monitors landslides and slope failures that affect the state highways.

"The area burned last summer and fall so the conditions are kind of set. We can do modeling to estimate what we think the impacts are going to be, but until you get rainfall in the area and at varying intensity levels and durations those models are just an estimate of what might happen. Now we're getting feedback and seeing what the actual effects are. We can better tailor our response to upcoming weather events," said Bob Group, the Geohazards Program Manger with CDOT.

If you do come up on a mudslide while driving here are some reminders:

• Don't leave your car unless absolutely necessary
• Don't hang out in the grassy median, traffic moving in the opposite direction can be dangerous
• Be prepared, pack an emergency kit if you're traveling through country roads or a mountain corridor
• Don't drive through flooded areas
         

CDOT says officials will continue to monitor I-70 through the canyon because of heavy rain still in the forecast this week.