Parts of Interstate 70 will be closed intermittently throughout the day Sunday as transportation officials address avalanche concerns in the central Colorado mountains.
Vail Pass is closed first eastbound at mile marker 180 for avalanche mitigation on Sunday morning, followed by a section near Copper Mountain and then and area near Silver Plume.
Operations are expected to take hours with an unknown time of reopening, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, which has planned helicopter operations throughout the day along the interstate, including Vail Pass.
“The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has identified many mountain ranges in western Colorado as being at high risk for avalanche slides,” CDOT said in a news release. “It is very likely that a natural slide could occur and motorists should plan for unexpected closures as well. There is also the possibility of large debris fields with trees and rocks mixed with snow in these slides, which can take maintenance operations longer to clear.”