From Ashes to Asphalt: Glenwood Canyon Recovery

In August 2021, thousands of tons of rock, mud, and debris poured down the burn scar of the Grizzly Creek Fire, severing Interstate 70 through Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon. It was the most destructive event in the history of the I-70 Mountain Corridor closing the state’s vital east-west artery, costing the economy $1 million for every hour of closure, and forcing drivers onto up to 5 hour detours. To mark the five year anniversary of the disaster in 2026, the CDOT presents “Ashes to Asphalt: Glenwood Canyon Recovery” a mini documentary series taking you behind the scenes of an unprecedented engineering and emergency response effort. Through archival footage and firsthand accounts, meet the maintenance crews, geologists, engineers, and first responders who worked around the clock to rebuild Colorado’s primary lifeline.