Why are I-70 and other roads sometimes closed east of Denver when Colorado conditions are not that bad?
Often times this is part of the staged closures procedure. Closures in Colorado are not always dependent on Colorado conditions but those in other states. Most towns in Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas do not have facilities to accommodate large numbers of stranded travelers. Rather than send people as far as they can go only to end up waiting in an area with no food, shelter or facilities, CDOT will progressively close roads farther west as towns fill up.
