UPDATED @ 9:43 a.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Workers are getting ready to reopen Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon, three days after a rockslide tore gaping holes in an elevated section and littered the highway with boulders.

State officials say workers were patching holes, repairing drainage and clearing away snow in Glenwood Canyon Thursday morning.

They plan to open one lane in each direction until other repairs are done.

The reopening was delayed so workers could break apart another huge boulder threatening to tumble onto the highway. That work was finished late Wednesday.

A 17-mile stretch of the heavily traveled Interstate was closed Monday after the slide. The shortest detour adds more than 200 miles to the trip.
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UPDATED @ 8:54 a.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Workers broke down a huge boulder threatening to tumble down a cliff onto Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon and hope to have some lanes open Thursday.

State officials said they blasted the boulder just before nightfall Wednesday, but darkness prevented crews from clearing debris.

A 17-mile stretch of I-70 has been closed since Monday after the slide rained boulders onto the road and punched gaping holes in an elevated section of the road.

Stay with this Web site for the latest information as it becomes available.
(COPYRIGHT 2010 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
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UPDATED @ 7:15 p.m. Wednesday GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - In a final Twitter update of the day CDOT officials say they'll make every effort to have a section of the Interstate open Thursday.

The large rock crews were working to bring down was blasted just before 6 p.m. and officials say crews immediately began clearing debris from the Interstate. They also say workers made most of the repairs needed to open one lane in each direction.

Crews will have to return to the slope again Thursday to make sure it's safe. They were unable to determine that due to loss of daylight.

Stay with this Web site and 11 News Live Today starting at 5 a.m. Thursday for the latest on this developing story.
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UPDATED @ 5:25 p.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - CDOT has issued a Tweet updating motorists on the status of the rock they're working to bring down.

The Tweet reads: "Crews getting ready to blast 20 foot rock. Update to follow soon." It was posted at 5:21 p.m.

Follow CDOT on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com then searching for ColoradoDOT. 11 News will bring you updates on this site as information becomes available.
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UPDATED @ 3:45 p.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - Colorado Department of Transportation officials have issued an update on progress crews are making to remove a huge boulder from above I-70 and cleanup of the rockslide.

The latest CDOT update says, "Crews are working through the slow, technical process of drilling the rock and prepping the area for blasting operations—it is estimated that this will take until 4 or 4:30 PM. After this time, we will send notice of blasting results, clean-up work required, and the follow-up process/estimated schedule for getting traffic flowing again."

Stay with nbc11news.com and tune into 11 News at 5:30 and 10 p.m. for the latest as information becomes available.
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UPDATED @ 3:30 p.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - CDOT officials are continuing to Tweet the progress of crews working to clear a massive boulder threatening to fall on I-70. It's slow going.

The latest Tweet reads: Crews still working to remove 20 foot boulder that is unstable on the slope. We will keep you posted. The update was issued around 3:30 p.m.

Still no word on when the Interstate might reopen after Sunday's rockslide in Glenwood Canyon. Stay with nbc11news.com for the latest as information becomes available.
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UPDATED @ 11:24 a.m. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - A helicopter is dropping tools to Colorado Department of Transportation crews still working the scene of Monday's major rockslide.

According to CDOT, the helicopter is on scene, preparing to drop off drilling equipment and a generator crews will use for planned drilling/blasting operations.

Officials say if everything goes as planned, crews believe a boulder that could fall and needs to come down will fall early Wednesday afternoon. Crews will then make sure the hillside is stable and look at any damage the falling rock may have caused to the roadway.

After that has been done, officials say they'll begin sending information about estimated highway re-open times. They also plan to send another update as soon as the boulder is down.
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (KKCO) - Motorists anxious for news on when I-70 could reopen can follow the Colorado Department of Transportation on Twitter.

The latest Tweet: Repair work and partial reopening of I-70 is dependent upon the completion of the mitigation work. More to come later today."

On Tuesdsay, a team of six hiked up 900 feet on the mountainside and conducted rock scaling operations (removing loose rock material with pry bars and other equipment) until the sun started to go down.

CDOT says they were able to safely access the unstable rock needing to be brought down.

Losing daylight, crews attempted to pry sections loose and locate areas in which to effectively place and then charge explosives, but were unable to do so.

Wednesday crews will hike up to the location once again and drilling and other equipment will be airlifted by helicopter to the site.

They say drilling and blasting as well as other mitigation efforts will be used to bring down the rock.

CDOT says, due the challenging nature of the project, it is difficult to estimate when the mitigation work will be complete and when I-70 may reopen.

Should the rock be brought down successfully, causing minimum damage to the highway, crews could then begin repairs to the eastbound lanes in preparation of opening one lane in each direction using the eastbound lanes.

CDOT says the process to reopen the Interstate is dependent upon the completion of the mitigation work. An update will be sent mid-morning Wednesday.

In the meantime, to follow CDOT on Twitter, just visit www.twitter.com and search for ColoradoDOT.