The Federal Highway Administration recently released $11.6 million in emergency relief funding to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for repairs to a section of Interstate 70 damaged by mudslides.
I-70 in Glenwood Canyon was closed 12 times between June 26 and July 28 because of flash flood warnings. On July 29, it was closed again when debris flowed onto the roadway. Exits 116 through 133 remain closed.
Retaining walls along the Colorado River, as well as the interstate deck and superstructure, were damaged.
Repair work includes assessments of damage to structures, stabilizing slopes, and removing material from the roadway.
“The damage to I-70 represents an immediate threat to the economy of the region and the safety of the public,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “These emergency relief funds reflect our commitment to helping Colorado respond to this emergency—and in the months and years ahead, this Department will continue working to make all our infrastructure safer and more resilient for the traveling public.”
The highway connects Western Colorado and the rest of the state and national east-west traffic.
It averages 17,000 vehicles daily, more than 2,200 of which are trucks.
Funding will reimburse CDOT for work related to re-opening I-70 to traffic.