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Mon 13 Jun, 2005 10:49 pm
Summer around the corner? Snow, sleet close roads in Colorado mountains
at 14:31 on June 13, 2005, EST.
DENVER (AP) - With summer just over a week away, a combination of snow, sleet and high wind closed highways in the Colorado mountains.
The wind and drifting snow blocked traffic and stranded some cars early Monday on Colorado 82 over Independence Pass, at an elevation of 3,600 metres between Aspen and Leadville. The highway was reopened after about two hours.
Eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 through the Eisenhower Tunnel were shut for about two hours Sunday night because of collisions blamed on ice and wind. Westbound lanes were also closed briefly.
The tunnel, at 3,300 metres above sea level, is about 100 kilometres west of Denver on the main east-west route through the state.
No injuries were reported in any of the weather-related accidents.
Independence Pass is one of the highest roads in the US and is normally closed from October to May. Fir Independence Pass to see a snow squall in June is unusual but not unprecedented. Oh, and although this road is a highway, access is restricted and the legal speed is low.
Two years ago, I-70, not too far from the Eisenhower and the Aspen/Crawfordville exit was closed for about two weeks because of a sinkhole. Somehow, the natives probably prefer this closure to that.
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