CREEDE—Colorado Department of Transportation crews could be seen on Highway 149 early Monday morning removing dump truck loads of rock from a section of road following a recent rockslide. The rockslide occurred around 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 and caused the road to be closed for several hours. People attending the Creede Repertory Theatre that evening found themselves in a traffic jam shortly after the theatre closed for the night as crews from Mineral County Sheriff’s Department, Mineral County Fire Department and CDOT all worked to remove the debris and reopen the road.
According to reports, a boulder the size of a compact car came crashing down after heavy rain had been falling in the area throughout the past several days. Rockslides in the Highway 149 corridor outside of Creede are a regular occurrence and crews continue to work to prevent future slides from taking place. Mud sloshed onto the road as the rain continued throughout the evening. Rocks continued to slide from the mountain side while crews worked vigorously to keep them from falling on cars or people.
One lane of traffic was opened by 9 p.m. to slowly allow traffic to continue towards South Fork. It wasn’t until after 11 p.m. that the rocks were finally off the road and both lanes of traffic were opened for people to continue to travel through.
On Monday morning, crews closed down the northbound lane of Highway 149 to begin work on removing loose material from the side of the road where cement barricades were broken and out of place from the slide. CDOT officials hoped to prevent future slides in the area by knocking loose and removing any rocks that were already on the verge of falling.
County officials were relieved that no one was hurt and that the road will be safer once CDOT crews finish their work. People traveling along the Highway 149 corridor are asked to remain cautious at all times, but especially during heavy rain falls. Signs along the highway serve as a reminder for people to slow down and be cautious of falling rocks.