Loveland Pass has officially reopened to motorists and recreationists following the successful cleanup of a landslide that buried US 6 in up to 20 feet of mud and silt this past weekend.
After seven tandem dump trucks worked to continually haul 92 tons of mud and silt from the area, the Colorado Department of Transportation‘s geohazard specialists approved the reopening as of 1pm on Wednesday, June 18th. The Geohazard team noted no movement on the mountainside. That, combined with the impressive work done by CDOT’s maintenance teams, led to the determination that the pass was safe for travel.
“I am incredibly proud of our team’s swift and dedicated work to safely reopen Loveland Pass after the recent landslide. Our crews’ expertise and tireless efforts ensured that we could restore access through this vital mountain corridor as quickly as possible, demonstrating our commitment to keeping Colorado’s roadways safe and open.” – Jessica Myklebust, CDOT Denver Metro transportation director.
Though the area is now open, motorists could still encounter CDOT crews working to cleanup debris from the shoulder. The original slide occurred around 5:30am on Sunday< June 15th, in an area known as Scottys Curves at Mile Point 226. Material above the roadway became saturated from melting snow and slid onto the road, leaving a pile of debris approximately 100 feet wide and 15-20 feet deep.
