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I-70 reopens between Copper Mountain and Frisco following gas leak

Posted at 6:12 AM, Mar 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-08 13:36:23-05
I-70 traffic camera
Traffic is backed up on I-70 after a gas leak at Copper Mountain is forcing drivers back to head back to Frisco. (CDOT)

COPPER MOUNTAIN – Authorities say an avalanche behind the Conoco station at Copper Mountain is what caused a gas leak that prompted evacuations and road closures Thursday morning.

The stretch of I-70 between Frisco and Copper mountain as well as Highway 91 have since reopened following a precautionary closure. I-70 remains closed west of Copper Mountain due to a separate avalanche on Vail Pass.

No one was evacuated at the Copper Mountain resort due to the leak, contrary to an earlier tweet from Colorado State Patrol. However, the resort elected to close Thursday due to the avalanche danger in the surrounding mountain ranges.

Summit County Fire and EMS said the leak happened around 5 a.m. Thursday. No injuries were reported.

RELATED: Colorado Avalanche Information Center warns of ‘historic’ avalanche danger

Eastbound traffic was already being held in Vail due to heavy snowfall and safety conditions on Vail Pass at the time of the closure. Both directions of I-70 reopened about 18 hours after the slide first shut down the highway early Thursday morning.