The UP and Amtrak say that rail service is "not affected." Looks like the D&RG surveyors knew their stuff when they picked the other side of the canyon! Here's the story: http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_14633690?source=commented-
I love driving that route through the mountains and took the train a couple of years ago just to see it from a different perspective. Awesome.
I'm guessing this is related to weather and Spring thawing? I'd imagine they'll now need to conduct a geologic study of the rocks above, to be certain nothing else is ready to come down. $$$$$$$$$$!!! Boxcab E50
Most likely it's the normal erosion / weathering that occurs here; they will be blasting the area today to clear the highway and then start the bridge work as there are several large holes in the bridge. You might be surprised how fast the highway will get open to some level using the East bound lanes for both East/West traffic. We've had a simular rock slides in this area and this is what I remember them doing each time; otherwise, it's about a 200 mile detour. Good thing no car or train got hit this time as folks have gotten killed in this area from these slides :tb-nerd: :tb-nerd: :tb-nerd:
I seem to recall I-70 being hit by a similar, locomotive-sized rock, a few years ago in this same stretch of asphalt. Good to know nobody was hurt.
Rock slides & falling rock - Some D&RGW incidents The D&RGW hasn't been immune to falling rock problems, of course. Over the years numerous derailments occurred due to rock slides, and at least one death occurred. According to Sam Dougherty (Call the Big Hook, 1984), a serviceman riding in a coach traveling at about 25 mph in Gore Canyon was struck and killed by a falling rock, which fell from high up in the canyon and hit the window at which the man was sitting (p. 223). Falling rock has also caused a good deal of environmental damage resulting from fuel and cargo spillage into waterways. In 2000, UP paid $800,000 to settle an EPA lawsuit brought about by the spillage of hazardous materials into Utah and Colorado waterways after derailments, some of which were due to rock slides. The derailments resulted in the release of more than 14,000 gallons of fuel, 5,000 tons of taconite, and 800,000 pounds of sulfuric acid. UP agreed to use locomotives on the route. The UP promised to equip its locomotives with crash-worthy fuel tanks, as specified by AAR guidelines. It's interesting to speculate that this settlement may have affected UP locomotive assignments along the former Rio Grande main line. In 2003, according to a UP presentation I found on the Web, all new locomotives purchased since 1993 had the crash-worthy fuel tanks, and the railroad had retro-fitted about 40 percent of its earlier models.
Day#2 Proof that Train Traffic is happening... ... and how close the track is to this latest rockfall <Google Map of Location>
Here is a link with some interesting pictures in a slide show. 9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | 9Slideshows Gallery | I-70-Rockslide-2010 Ben
9News - Highway to open 2 lanes of I-70 to re-open days after massive rockslide :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: