I-70 Still Closed in Colorado, Feds Pitch in $12M [VIDEOS]
Drone footage released by the Colorado Department of Transportation shows the extent of the damage from a July mudslide in Glenwood Canyon in the Rocky Mountains.
The mudslide continues to block Interstate 70 in both directions. In this video report from CBSN Denver, Elise Thatcher of the Colorado Department of Transportation provides an update on efforts to clear the roadway. She said at this point, 440 truckloads of material totaling “tens of millions of pounds” have been removed.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Aprovided $11.6 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds to CDOT to make repairs to the damaged stretch of Interstate.. “I-70 is a critical connection for people and freight between Western Colorado and the rest of the State, as well as for national east-west traffic,” according to a press release for the agency.
“The damage to I-70 represents an immediate threat to the economy of the region and the safety of the public,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a prepared statement. “These emergency relief funds reflect our commitment to helping Colorado respond to this emergency....”
According to FHWA, I-70 was closed 12 times between June 26 and July 28 for flash flood warnings, but rainfall on July 29 caused extensive debris flows that kept the road closed. It said exits 116 through 133 remain closed between Glenwood Springs and Dotsero. CDOT has observed damage to the interstate deck and superstructure and to retaining walls along the Colorado River.
Quick release funds will be used to reimburse CDOT for work related to re-opening I-70 to traffic: including the removal of material from I-70, stabilizing slopes, and conducting surveys and assessments of damage to structures. The funds will also go toward maintaining traffic safety along lengthy detour routes. I-70 sees average daily traffic of 17,000 vehicles, of which more than 2,200 are trucks.
“FHWA will continue to provide coordination and technical assistance, as well as these financial resources, to Colorado so that the state can safely and expeditiously repair this important interstate relied on by communities in the region and suppliers across the country,” said acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack in a statement.
Raw video from 9News on July 30 shows wheel loaders moving debris beginning at 3:40, stranded vehicles, and an excavator clearing a railroad track at 17:15 below.