GLENWOOD CANYON, the United States, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- In the wake of a heavy snowstorm, more than a dozen cars and seven tractor-trailer trucks were involved in a massive pileup Wednesday afternoon at the western U.S. state of Colorado's scenic Glenwood Canyon, a major transportation artery between east and west America.
Both directions of Interstate 70, the four-lane highway artery that crosses America's highest mountain range, the Colorado Rockies, reopened following a roughly three-hour closure.
A total of four consecutive heavy snowfalls in high Rockies have thrilled skiers but dismayed local officials responsible for snow removal, as Mother Nature has dumped more than 4 feet (1.22 meters) of snow into the high Rockies, according to the National Weather Service.
Amy Mertz, who witnessed the accident, told Xinhua she saw some irresponsible drivers dash down the canyon at high speed while most vehicles were moving at a speed of 45 km per hour in the snowy mountain area.
At least 15 passenger vehicles and three semitrucks were disabled, local Glenwood Springs Post Independent newspaper reported, noting there were also four injuries in the accident.
At an elevation of 8,088 feet (2,465.2 meters), Mertz told Xinhua that Tuesday's storm dropped more than 1 foot (0.3 meters) of snow in her driveway, with more expected over the next 24 hours.
When the key highway was stuck, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office issued a reminder via Facebook that nearby passes, including Cottonwood and Independence, are closed for the season.
Recently, this kind of notes have been seen frequently in Colorado as the massive snowstorm started on Christmas weekend, and several major highways running through mountain regions were closed.
Hundreds of cars piled up on the road over the weekend in Sierra Nevada, which eventually prompted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to post "STOP TRYING TO USE THE BACKROADS TO GET TO NEVADA!" on social media.
Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 50, two key routes linking the west and east of the United States, were both closed in the mountains of Northern California due to a strong winter storm battering the state since Monday.
From Sunday to Monday, Yuba-Sutter CHP's graveyard crew ended up working a 20-hour shift rescuing a family trapped in a SUV who had passed three road closure signs and were stuck in the snow.
According to Reno Gazette Journal, many drivers were led astray by Google Maps, which offered alternate driving routes that sent drivers to snowy dead ends.
The report said the Northern California Highway Patrol found a serious problem on Quincy-La Porte Road, which locals know closes each winter, but Google Maps does not.
When Interstate 80 closed, Google Maps offered up Quincy-La Porte Road as an alternate route, so that hundreds of drivers did try that route and ended up in chest-high snow.
"It shows on the map it will go through, but there's always a gate closed in the winter," CHP officer Brian Danielson told the journal, adding two plows designated for the area even got stuck and there were hundreds of cars up there over the weekend.
On Monday, in Nevada, Washoe County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Specialized Vehicle Unit and Incident Management Team rescued a family of five heading to Chiacago from the Dog Valley/Henness Pass roads area after the family tried to take the road on their way from Southern California to Truckee.
While attempting to bypass the Interstate 80 closure, the family, which included children as young as five, detoured onto the two-lane dirt road, which was buried in snow.
On Tuesday night, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a state of emergency related to the snow and storm conditions impacting Northern Nevada, citing delays on U.S. Route 50, Highway 207 and Highway 28, dangerous road conditions and an oncoming storm.
"We need all those who are on the roadways to turn around and head back to safe shelter so our emergency responders can continue their work." the order read.
U.S. Route 50, or US 50, is a transcontinental highway, stretching from West Sacramento, California, in the west to Ocean City, Maryland, in the east. As of Wednesday night, it has been closed for four days. Enditem