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Rockslide closes US 40 in Mount Harris Canyon ‘indefinitely’

Kari Harden, Steamboat Pilot

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A rockslide closed U.S. Highway 40 east of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport around 1 p.m. Sunday, March 8. The highway is closed in both directions, and authorities currently do not have an estimate of when it will reopen.

The rockslide is in Mount Harris Canyon, near mile marker 116 and close to the intersection of U.S. 40 and Routt County Road 52.

Authorities reported an unstable hillside, with rocks still falling or in danger of falling. Law enforcement and transportation officials are working to turn around traffic in both directions and contact the airport and airlines to let them know travel into Steamboat is blocked.



Authorities are suggesting travelers use Routt County roads 27 and 33 as alternate routes. 

According to Kevin Booth, director of the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, shuttles have been rerouted onto the alternate routes.



Those routes take about twice as long, he said, and a little more if the drivers elect to stay on the pavement and go through Oak Creek.

A United Airlines airplane that was scheduled to leave at 2:55 p.m. delayed their boarding time to allow for the shuttles to arrive, Booth said.

Several more planes are scheduled to depart and arrive today, he said. If anyone doesn’t think they can make their flight, Booth advises them to contact the airlines.


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