Westbound lanes on a stretch of Interstate 70 reopened Thursday evening after a two-hour closure because of safety concerns.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said I-70 westbound reopened from Burlington, Exit 438, to Limon, Exit 361, in a 5:43 p.m. tweet.
The Colorado State Patrol on Thursday afternoon said that high winds and blowing snow has contributed to multiple crashes, including a fatal incident. Conditions are extreme in Lincoln and Elbert counties, CSP said.
“We have a mess out there,” said Master Trooper Gary Cutler of the CSP.
During the afternoon, there were at least 18 crashes on I-70 east of Aurora to the Kansas state line, Cutler said.
One crash, which happened about 1 p.m. near Limon in the eastbound lanes, was fatal. The crash involved a semitruck and a vehicle. Both drivers were taken to a hospital and a passenger in one of the vehicles died, Cutler said.
The eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed from Deer Trail to Limon, about a 33-mile stretch, also for safety reasons. Colorado 59 was closed from Kit Carson to U.S. 36. Both stretches of highway reopened at about the same time as I-70 westbound.
About 4 p.m. Thursday, the wind in Limon was gusting to 43 mph, with 72% humidity and a wind-chill temperature of 8 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Burlington is under similar weather conditions, with snow showers and patchy, blowing snow.
