Accident involving semi-trailer truck causes several-hour delay on I-70 for the second time this week

Motorists heading east on I-70 should expect lengthy delays Friday after two semi-trailers collided near Edwards in Eagle County.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, a westbound semi-trailer truck veered off the left shoulder of the eastbound lane around 4:30 a.m. Friday morning and collided with another truck.

CSP expects the closure to last longer than eight hours due to necessary cleanup and a subsequent investigation. Two people from the eastbound truck were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The driver who drove through the barrier was uninjured. Investigators say fatigue may have been the cause, but are conducting a full investigation.

The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed the eastbound lanes of the interstate between exit 163 for Edwards and exit 167 for Avon. To avoid the closure, exit at Edwards and follow the detour onto US 6. Drivers can then rejoin the interstate at Avon.

This is the second serious tractor-trailer accident on I-70 this week.

Traffic through Glenwood Canyon experienced significant delays Tuesday after a westbound semi-truck broke through a guardrail and crashed into the eastbound lane below. The truck was carrying plastic boxes and wooden pallets that were scattered across the roadway, prompting a lengthy cleanup effort.

Police issued a citation to the driver of the truck, who was hospitalized after the accident, but did not say what the specific citation was. It is still unclear what caused the accident.

Both accidents occurred shortly after state lawmakers sought to reduce the number of accidents on I-70 and avoid lengthy closures.

Governor Jared Polis signed a law in May banning commercial vehicles from using the left lane in accident-prone areas such as Glenwood Canyon, Vail Pass and Floyd Hill.

This is a developing story and may be updated.