Latest round of snow closes US 24 in eastern El Paso County for third straight day
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- After poor driving conditions shut down US 24 for several hours on Wednesday and Thursday, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) did so again because of weather conditions.
CDOT announced the closure at around 8 a.m. Friday, between Constitution Avenue near Colorado Springs, to Ramah near the east side of the county line.
However, a CDOT official at the scene said that the closure actually crosses into another CDOT region, and that region has extended the closure farther east to Limon.
Wind-driven snow started to accumulate on the highway at dawn, making the pavement slick in some areas and reducing visibility; traffic moved slowly and steadily past several vehicles still stuck in ditches from storms earlier in the week.
US 24 has three closure gates in the area: At the Woodmen Road and Constitution Avenue intersections, and at the east end of Calhan near the east side of the county line.
CDOT closed the highway from Falcon to Limon for five hours on Wednesday -- from late morning to early afternoon -- and shut it down for a similar time period on Thursday.
US 24 is a major travel route between Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs and Interstate 70 Limon; the closures this week have frustrated truckers, drivers traveling to and from other states, and even residents trying to reach homes nearby.
KRDO 13 has a crew along US 24 east of Colorado Springs and will monitor road conditions throughout the day.
