Eastbound Interstate 70 west of De Beque remained closed after a semi hauling a large transformer lost its load Saturday afternoon, leaving crews to clear wreckage and a fuel spill from the roadway. The crash happened around 2:40 p.m. near milepost 57, and no one was hurt.
According to kjct8.com, the transformer shifted as the truck rounded the curve, and that shift broke a tie-down chain, sending the truck's load loose. The transformer then began leaking fuel and briefly caught fire before crews managed to put out the flames, the station reported.
The overnight closure was also detailed by CBS Colorado, which reported that eastbound I-70 near De Beque would remain shut overnight as hazmat cleanup continued, per the Colorado Department of Transportation. The outlet reported the closure stretching between exit 49 at Grand Mesa and exit 62 at De Beque, with eastbound travelers directed to take CO-65 to 45 1/2 Road as an alternate route.
What Colorado State Patrol Is Investigating
Colorado State Patrol is investigating the crash, per the station's report. CBS Colorado's account attributed the fuel leak and fire to Colorado State Patrol as well, describing the transformer falling into the road after the chain gave way. No other vehicles were reported involved, and the incident resulted in no injuries.
CDOT advised drivers to expect delays and to maintain slower speeds while the closure remains in effect, according to CBS Colorado's reporting. Drivers are urged to check COtrip.org for the latest closure and detour information, according to KJCT's reporting.
A Canyon With a History of Cargo Trouble
De Beque Canyon has seen hazardous cargo spill onto I-70 before. In a separate incident years earlier, a westbound semitrailer carrying hazardous materials crashed and rolled over in the canyon about 5 a.m. on a Sunday near milepost 58, and the westbound lanes stayed closed afterward, according to gjsentinel.com. That truck was hauling glue and solvent that mixed together into what the outlet described as a highly air-polluting mixture, prompting a special hazmat crew to be dispatched from Salt Lake City to handle the cleanup. The detour used in that earlier case routed motorists along 45½ Road to Colorado Highway 65 and back onto I-70 at exit 49, the Sentinel reported, though it is not confirmed whether the same route applies to this weekend's closure.
The Colorado Department of Transportation separately posted on Facebook that eastbound I-70 in De Beque Canyon at mile point 57 would remain closed for rockfall, though that post does not detail the transformer crash itself. For now, drivers heading east through the canyon should expect continued delays while crews finish clearing the scene.
