Highway 24 in eastern El Paso County reopens Thursday afternoon, after closure for several hours

CALHAN, Colo. (KRDO) -- For a second straight day, adverse weather and poor travel conditions forced the closure of US 24 in eastern El Paso County.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, heavy snowfall, ice and limited visibility led authorities to shut down 40 miles of the highway between the east end of Calhan and Limon in Lincoln County.

The highway hadn't reopened as of 1 p.m., and a CDOT spokesman said that it might take until Saturday to adequately clear and treat the pavement to make it safe for travel.

The closure frustrated truckers trying to reach Interstate 70, as well as travelers trying to reach their destinations, and local residents returning home.

In all but a few cases, traffic had to turn around and travel west on US 24 -- which wasn't in much better condition.

Shea Snare was one of the few local drivers allowed through the Calhan end of the closure.

"I just live 9 miles away in Ramah," she explained. "If they hadn't let me through, I would have just parked over here and waited for the highway to reopen."

Snare said that she had driven to Falcon earlier in the morning for work, but was let off early because of the weather.

"I've got my 40-acre ranch back home, with my dogs and my cats," she said. "And my parents are sitting at home waiting for me to bring the hay because the horses don't got no hay."

Rich Van Til was heading home to Illinois after visiting his brother in Colorado Springs.

"I just pulled up and the gentleman says no," he recalled. "So, now I'm debating -- do I turn around and try to get back to the Springs or not? I guess that's what I'll do today."

Meanwhile, Ed Ruroede had to find another route to feed several hundred head of cattle under his care.

"No matter what the weather, cattle's got to be taken care of," he said. "About six miles out of my way. A major pain? No, it's just the life of a cowboy."

One semi-truck became stuck in the ice and snow when the driver backed up to make room for another big rig going in the opposite direction.

At the Loaf & Jug convenience store in Calhan, several travelers shared stories about where they were from, where they were going, and how they'd get there.

The situation left a store clerk disappointed.

"I thought with all of these people stranded, we'd have more business," she said. "But it's slow."