70 car pileup on Colorado's I-70.
70 car pileup on Colorado's I-70.

The Colorado Department of Transportation was forced to close Eastbound Interstate I-70 just west of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Tuesday, thanks to a severe multi-vehicle crash occurred on the east side of the tunnel near Loveland Ski Area. According to official reports, the crash involved around 70 cars.

No fatalities were reported in the crash, but CBS News reports that 19 people were hurt in total. The crash involved dozens of cars, vehicles, and semi-trucks, some being spun out on the snow-covered roadways on and close to the Highway 6 onramp.

A burst of heavy snow and high winds, bringing 30-35 mph gusts to the highway, blew enough snow to create white-out conditions. The eastbound lane was closed after 3pm to for the emergency response and cleanup effort, while drivers were told to prepare for an extended closure. The highway would not reopen again for another 5 hours.

The individuals taken to the hospital were reportedly suffering from varying degrees of injuries, while Georgetown restaurants and the community center welcomed those whose vehicles were damaged in the pikup.

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Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work...