The Colorado Department of Transportation stated in a news release Monday it will clean up the 100-foot wide mountain slide on Loveland Pass that has blocked U.S. Highway 6 since Sunday in two phases.

The first phase, which started Monday, will remove mud and silt from the roadway, and the second will clear the remainder of the slide after a reevaluation of the slide’s stability. The department stated it has no estimated time of reopening for the pass and that it will not reopen until the roadway is safe. 

While the pass is closed, the department will escort trucks carrying hazardous materials through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels at the top of the hour. Hazardous materials usually cannot go through the tunnel and must go over Loveland Pass due to safety concerns.

When trucks with hazardous materials are in the tunnel, all other traffic will be held at the entrances.

There was a slide in the area in 2003, but it stabilized on its own shortly after and has not had a history of movement since, according to the release. Motorists, hikers and cyclists should stay away from the area until clean up is complete.