The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Driver uninjured
Highway 50 was closed between Gunnison and Montrose briefly Wednesday after a tanker truck carrying 6,000 gallons of gasoline lost control, rolled over, bursting into flames west of Blue Mesa Reservoir early that morning. The accident caused road damage and started three fires on the surrounding hillside that initially kept crews from cleaning up the debris.
According to Colorado State Patrol Capt. Laurie Handley, the truck overturned sometime around 12:30 a.m. May 22 near mile marker 124, just east of the turnoff to Arrowhead going into Little Blue Canyon. The truck was destroyed in the blaze, while the driver escaped without injury, she said.
“The Forest Service is on scene putting out the fires. They were clearing the trees on hillside above the road so they don’t come down while [road crews] are there,” Handley said. “Once they do that we’ll clear the road and CDOT is going to have to do major repair to the road.”
By noon Wednesday, the road had one lane open and traffic was getting through, although with some delays.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. For more information, visit www.cotrip.org or call 511.
