Over 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado
A multi-vehicle pileup involving more than 75 vehicles occurred at about 14:50 LT on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, on the Highway 6 eastbound on-ramp to Interstate 70 near mile marker 216, just east of the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County, Colorado, during snowy and slick mountain driving conditions. Colorado State Patrol said 19 people were medically evaluated, eight were taken to hospitals, and one person sustained serious injuries. Eastbound I-70 remained closed for about five hours before reopening later that evening.
About 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Credit: Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office
A multi-vehicle pileup involving more than 75 vehicles occurred at about 14:50 LT on Tuesday, April 14, on the Highway 6 eastbound on-ramp to eastbound Interstate 70 near mile marker 216, just east of the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel near Loveland Ski Area in Clear Creek County, Colorado. The crash forced a prolonged closure of one of the state’s main mountain transport corridors.
Colorado State Patrol said 19 people were medically evaluated following the crash. Eight were taken to hospitals with varying injuries, while one person sustained serious bodily injuries. No fatalities were reported.
The pileup happened during snowy mountain driving conditions that affected parts of the I-70 corridor throughout the day.
Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office updates, cited by local media, first described the incident at about 15:00 LT as a multi-vehicle injury crash involving possibly more than two dozen vehicles. Later updates raised the estimate to more than 75 vehicles.
About 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Credit: Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office- About 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Credit: Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office
- About 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Credit: Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office
- About 75 vehicles involved in I-70 pileup near Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado. Credit: Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office
The crash blocked the eastbound I-70 and the Highway 6 eastbound on-ramp near mile marker 216. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed eastbound I-70 at the Eisenhower Tunnel shortly after the crash and initially said there was no estimated reopening time.
Westbound traffic in the area was also temporarily restricted during the response. The Sheriff’s Office said the left westbound lane was closed at about 16:00 LT for medical staging and emergency access. Later in the evening, westbound lanes reopened while eastbound closures remained in place.
By about 19:30 LT, eastbound Highway 6 traffic was able to bypass the crash site and merge back onto I-70 eastbound at the mile marker 216 on-ramp. Eastbound Interstate 70 was fully reopened at about 20:10 LT, ending a closure that lasted about five hours.
Earlier Tuesday, Clear Creek County authorities reported at least five crashes west of mile marker 221 on Interstate 70 amid snowy mountain driving conditions.
References:
1 CDOT warns travelers of extended eastbound closure on I-70 near Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel – CDOT – April 14, 2026
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