DENVER, COLORADO — A Thanksgiving weekend storm brought chaos to Interstate 70 on Sunday as two major pileups involving more than 50 vehicles shut down portions of Colorado’s main east–west corridor, leaving cars mangled across icy pavement and visibility reduced to only a few hundred feet.

The first crash was reported at 11:28 a.m. near milepost 119 in Garfield County, just west of Glenwood Springs, where a pileup involving approximately 30 vehicles left the roadway blocked. Only minutes later, at 11:42 a.m., a second crash of about 20 vehicles occurred near milepost 130 in Eagle County, west of Gypsum. Snowfall and rapidly deteriorating visibility contributed to the collisions, with Colorado State Patrol citing slick mountain road conditions and poor sightlines along the corridor. Despite the scale of both crashes, troopers confirmed no injuries were reported.

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According to KKTV, eastbound I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero was closed for several hours as emergency crews cleared wrecked vehicles and snowplows attempted to reopen travel lanes. Westbound lanes were briefly closed at Dotsero but reopened around 1:45 p.m. Authorities reported visibility in the area at roughly 500 feet, complicating cleanup operations and increasing the risk of additional crashes. Emergency vehicles began escorting traffic at low speeds once the roadway was deemed safe.

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Troopers said both pileups resulted in property damage only, though vehicles were heavily damaged and scattered across the interstate. Local sheriff’s offices assisted with removal operations as plows worked to push accumulated snow off the roadway. The wintry weather, expected to worsen through the evening, continued to create hazardous travel conditions across high-elevation areas.

Colorado officials reminded drivers to prepare for chain laws, sudden closures, and rapidly changing conditions. Travelers can monitor updates through the Colorado Department of Transportation’s newly launched I-70 information page, which provides real-time alerts on weather impacts, chain requirements, and road hazards.

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