Updated Schedule for Debris Removal from Flood-Impacted Highways

January 13, 2014 - Northeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 4 - No debris of any kind allowed on State Highway 72 at this time.

BOULDER, JEFFERSON, LARIMER, AND WELD COUNTIES — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and contractor Phillips and Jordan, Inc. continue to collect flood debris from flood-impacted state highways. Residents who live on the highways impacted by the flood are urged to bring their flood-related debris to just off the pavement next to the highway. Residents are urged to have flood-generated debris ready for pick up prior to the date of pickup.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  ONLY FLOOD-RELATED DEBRIS SHOULD BE PLACED ALONG THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. Residents are responsible for disposal of non-flood related items. Due to the heavy amount of non-flood related debris being left at collection sites (including paint cans, household garbage, etc.), CDOT will implement stringent drop-off restrictions and law enforcement assistance for the third pass of debris pick-up. More details will be forthcoming.

Effective immediately, again due to the large amount of non-flood related debris being left on State Highway (SH) 72, no further dumping is permitted on SH 72 from this point forward. CDOT will pick up the existing debris along the right-of-way on Tuesday, January 14, but until details are available for the third and final pass (scheduled for the last two weeks in February), no debris of any kind should be brought to the right-of-way.

CDOT is completing the second pass of debris removal this week from the following highways:

  • US 34 – Completed as of Saturday, January 11
  • US 36 – Monday, January 13 through Wednesday, January 15
  • SH 72 – Starting Tuesday, January 14

During cleanup, crews will be working in CDOT right-of-way as well as under bridges and near streams. The continued debris removal will help better prepare the highways for spring runoff.

Guidelines

  • Debris piles should be three feet from the side of the highway to allow for any snow removal operations.
  • Do not block the roadway, waterways or any culverts with debris.
  • Please have all eligible flood-related debris to the roadside by mid-February 2014

Debris crews will not access private property or city/county roads to pick up debris, so residents will need to place any flood-related debris right along the edge of the highway to have it removed.

The following is a guideline of the materials that will be removed from CDOT right-of-way:

Flood-related debris that will be picked up:

  • Vegetation waste: Branches, plants, trees and grass

o   CDOT requests that vegetative materials be separated from other materials in piles of six feet in length or less for easier pickup.

  • Construction & demolition waste: Wood framing from houses, furniture, carpet, clothes, concrete, etc.
  • White waste: Appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, washers & dryers, hot water heaters, dishwashers and microwave ovens
  • Electronic waste: Computers, televisions, DVD players, telephones, and microwave ovens

What will not be picked up:

  • Regular household garbage. This should be disposed of in your dumpsters and removed by your waste management provider.

Once collected, debris is taken directly to local landfills for final disposal or to CDOT properties to be reduced and eventually used for construction or slope stabilization. Any vehicle materials found in debris piles will be searched for a VIN number, and if a VIN is found, CDOT will keep it on record. Citizens still searching for their vehicles post-flood can contact CDOT to see if their vehicle has been recovered.

For questions about the debris removal process, please visit the CDOT flood information website at www.coloradodot.info/travel/floodinfoupdates. Members of the public can also email [email protected], or speak to someone directly at 720-263-1589. For toll-free call 1-800-999-4997.

To receive real-time updates about road conditions in your area, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page. Information about weekly lane closures will be available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. Live road conditions are available at www.cotrip.org or by calling 511 from anywhere in the state. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and be sure to “Like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/coloradodot.