BERTHOUD PASS, Colo. (CBS4)– An avalanche closed U.S. 40 in both directions over Berthoud Pass and buried cars in the slide Friday afternoon. It has since been reopened.
The Colorado Department of Transportation confirmed that some plow drivers found three cars trapped in the avalanche. There weren’t any serious injuries.
(credit: CBS)
The avalanche happened just after 3 p.m. It reopened at approximately 8:30 p.m. Because the situation could change drivers should still probably avoid taking the highway as CDOT warned it could close again.
“Most people turned around so, I’m getting real close to doing that myself,” said driver Tim Jones.
The Clear Creek County side of U.S. 40 will be closed at 5:30 a.m. for avalanche mitigation.
Plow drivers were working to get the vehicles out from under the snow and clear the snow from the highway.
CDOT said crews were doing avalanche mitigation in the same area where the slide occurred on Thursday. But after more than a foot of snow fell in the same area the avalanche danger once again increased.
A few other minor slides have been reported in the area.
LINK: Colorado Avalanche Information Center
