A tunnel that carries Interstate 70 by means of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains was compelled to shut on Sunday when a person on foot sprayed site visitors with fireplace extinguishers, the state’s Division of Transportation mentioned.
The state of affairs started round 3:20 p.m. close to the west entrance of the Eisenhower Tunnel. A person was postpone an eastbound Greyhound bus earlier than it entered the tunnel, mentioned freeway company spokesman Tim Hoover.
In a press release to TV station KDVR, Greyhound mentioned the person — “the disgruntled passenger” — requested to be let off the bus throughout a cease on the brake examine space. “For the security of our passengers and driver, the passenger was launched and native authorities have been contacted instantly,” the assertion mentioned.
He hung across the upkeep yard for some time after which, round 5 p.m., walked into the westbound lanes of site visitors and entered the tunnel. He took fireplace extinguishers from an emergency cupboard within the tunnel and commenced spraying them at automobiles.
Freeway staff closed the tunnel for about quarter-hour, and the person was detained with the assistance of legislation enforcement brokers from Summit County and the Colorado State Patrol.
The person was arrested on suspicion of prison tampering, obstruction of a roadway and throwing missiles at autos. Upon his launch, he was given a bus ticket to Denver, the Summit County sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
There have been no reviews of accidents or broken autos, however Hoover referred to as the incident “alarming” and “extremely problematic.”
The dual-bore tunnel — formally the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel — is 1.7 miles lengthy. It's on the interstate 60 miles west of Denver.