The highway was closed for an hour in both directions at mile marker 28.5. The site is about 18 miles north of Dolores.
On Jan. 1, a passenger vehicle went off the roadway about a mile east of County Road 38, the West Fork Road. The crashed vehicle remained at the site until a tow company and recovery plan could be secured.
The recovery operation began at 10 a.m., the Colorado Department of Transportation said.