One lane of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon reopened in each direction on Saturday morning, Aug. 14, after a two-week closure prompted by mud and rock slides that buried and damaged the heavily traveled route.

But the Colorado Department of Transportation warned motorists to prepare for traffic and other delays. The agency also warned that a full reopening is still months away.

“There are going to be reduced speeds,” Shoshana Lew, who leads CDOT, said during a news conference on Friday, Aug. 13, asking people to realize that they are driving through a work zone. “Be respectful of each other and be respectful of the speed limit.”

Lew and her deputies said it will take until Thanksgiving to fully complete repairs on the interstate through Glenwood Canyon and get the traffic flow back to normal. Gov. Jared Polis has requested $116 million for the project.

Officials were initially fearful that the route might have to be fully closed for months.

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported news organization dedicated to covering the people, places and policies that matter in Colorado. Read more, sign up for free newsletters and subscribe at ColoradoSun.com.