Vehicle fire shutters Eisenhower Tunnel Monday, causes miles-long traffic backup

(KKTV) - Travel through the Eisenhower Tunnel is back to normal Tuesday after a vehicle fire brought traffic to a halt.

A transit van caught fire in the westbound bore just before 1 p.m., shutting down both sides of the tunnel for more than an hour while crews dealt with the flames.

“The vehicle caught fire about 100 yards from the tunnel entrance and was in the right lane. The passengers in the vehicle got out safely,” CDOT said in a statement to 11 News. “Tunnel operations, which monitors a system of numerous cameras in and around the tunnel, saw the fire and immediately activated the fire suppression system that doused the fire with water.”

During the tunnel closure, cars were rerouted to Loveland Pass as a detour. Even so, traffic backups extended as far as 5 miles, CDOT said. Eastbound travel through the tunnel resumed just before 3 p.m., but the westbound side of the tunnel remained completely closed for another hour after that, with one westbound lane not reopening until near 7 p.m. Crews assessed the tunnel for any damage during the closure; CDOT says that while some tiles were damaged, the structural integrity of the tunnel is intact.

The cause of the vehicle fire hasn’t been released.