Loveland Pass Reopens After Being Buried by 92-Ton Mountain Slide

Photo: Colorado Department of Transportation

After a multi-day closure that buried U.S. Highway 6 under a 20-foot wall of debris, Colorado's Loveland Pass reopened to traffic on Wednesday afternoon, June 18th. The massive slide, triggered by melting snow covered the mountainside, serves as another stark reminder of the power of the high alpine.

Crews from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) launched a full-scale operation to clear the road. The sheer volume of the cleanup was staggering: seven tandem dump trucks were needed to haul 92 tons of mud, rock, and silt off the highway.

The slide occurred Sunday, June 15th near mile marker 226 in a section known as Scottys Curves, cutting off the popular route between Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area. Initial assessments reported the slide was roughly 100 feet wide. 

While geohazard specialists have deemed the mountainside stable for now, the incident brings to mind other recent catastrophic road failures in the Rockies. The slide that crippled Wyoming's Teton Pass in June 2024 required a massive, $40 million rebuild effort that is still ongoing. While the Loveland Pass slide didn't involve a catastrophic failure of the roadbed itself, it underscores the constant battle to keep mountain infrastructure open.

Despite the closure, Arapahoe Basin was able to spin lifts for its scheduled final day of the season on Sunday, with skiers and riders taking the long way around through Silverthorne to get their last turns in.

As you drive through the pass, you may still spot CDOT crews on the shoulder conducting final cleanup operations—a small footprint left behind by a monumental effort.