Eastbound I-70 to close on clear mornings near Floyd Hill to protect drivers from “sun glare”

For the next four months, eastbound Interstate 70 will close east of Idaho Springs on clear mornings to protect drivers from being dazzled by the glare of the rising sun.

Colorado’s Department of Transportation on Thursday announced the seasonal closure at Floyd Hill, which will start at sunrise and last between 45 minutes and one hour on days it’s necessary.

“The sun’s angle, in combination with the hill and the highway’s configuration, can create a blinding sun glare for drivers as they head eastbound up Floyd Hill,” the agency said in a news release. “The intense sun glare occurs as far east as Genesee beginning around sunrise and lasting until around 8:30 a.m.”

Eastbound traffic will be rerouted at the U.S. 6 exit, and drivers will have the option of either continuing on U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon or driving along the frontage road and rejoining the freeway at Beaver Brook.

The agency warned truckers that no vehicles taller than 12 feet and 7 inches can use the tunnels along Clear Creek Canyon.

Drivers who plan to use the impacted segment of Interstate 70 in the early mornings through February are advised to look for the overhead message boards east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel for closure updates.

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