Updated at 5:13 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
I-70 has reopened after a fatal multiple-vehicle crash near the Eisenhower Tunnel Thursday afternoon. The crash resulted in a significant fire near mile marker 218. Traffic westbound was closed for several hours.
One motorist and their dog died in the crash. Many travellers were turned around and asked to wait out the closure in Denver due to concerns over high temperatures and congestion.
Original story below.
A fatal multiple-vehicle crash on I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel on Thursday has resulted in a significant fire near mile marker 218.
I-70 westbound is closed.
According to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, drivers on I-70 westbound can expect an extended closure and are asked to wait out the crash in Denver.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging holiday travelers from the metro area to delay leaving. And motorists are being turned around at westbound I-70 at Beaver Brook to return to Denver.
“Motorists are strongly encouraged to postpone traveling west on I-70 or south on US 285 from Denver at this time,” Colorado State Patrol said in a statement. “The closure will remain in place for the next several hours, and motorists can expect extreme congestion and heat.”
Vehicles involved include a semi-truck and a Ram truck hauling a trailer. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the driver of the Ram truck was killed alongside a dog. The driver of the semi-truck has no reported injuries.
Numerous holiday travellers were stuck on the interstate on Thursday afternoon. Some turned around and went back to Denver, while others were able — and chose — to wait it out. Many could be seen walking their dogs, taking bathroom breaks, or socializing outside of their vehicles.
“We figured at this point we're so close, it's not bad to wait an hour here on the side of the highway,” Craig Walker, who was headed to Frisco with his wife Bonnie, said. “Plus, we have the camper, so if we really need to camp up here, we can.”
Both directions of I-70 were temporarily closed earlier Thursday afternoon. All westbound traffic caught at mile markers 228 and 218 was diverted around the crash on the eastbound lanes to get through the Eisenhower Tunnel. Once that line was cleared, eastbound traffic reopened at 2:55 p.m.
This fatality marks the fourth in two days on I-70. On Wednesday, a Subaru rear-ended a semi-truck, resulting in three deaths. The driver was taken to a local hospital. The victims in that crash were a 47-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, according to Colorado State Patrol. They were from Montana.
This is a developing story.
