CDOT ending daytime weekend work on US 36 construction from Lyons to Estes Park

LARIMER COUNTY — The Colorado Department of Transportation announced today the conclusion of daytime weekend construction work as part of the US 36 flood emergency repairs project.

“We are in the process of completing Phase 1 of the project which included a significant amount of closures and weekend work to facilitate blasting activities.  We have completed the major blasting and greatly appreciate the local communities’ patience during this period” said Chris Boespflug, CDOT engineer for the project.  "As we move into the summer season, we understand the importance of weekend traffic on this road for residents, businesses and tourists and are no longer planning anymore daytime weekend work,” said Chris Boespflug, CDOT engineer for the project.

There will be limited work that needs to take place before Phase 2 of the project begins in July. Any construction delays and lane reductions will be limited to the weekday and night time hours.

The US 36 project is the first mountain corridor to begin and complete remaining emergency and permanent repairs following the flooding.

The first phase was considered emergency work crucial to guaranteeing that the roadway lasts through spring runoff. It included work to stabilize embankments above and below the highway, as well as near the river, in addition to shifting the alignment of US 36 away from the river onto more solid ground (from soil to bedrock).

During blasting activities, crews loosened sections of the mountainside and then removed the loosened materials from the roadway. On average, the highway is being moved inland away from the river 20 feet, with the range varying between five and 50 feet. Altogether, an expected 250,000 cubic yards of material has been removed. The materials have been recycled and used to not only stabilize the embankment below the highway, but to stabilize the river channel.

Throughout the duration of construction, cyclists are not permitted on U.S. 36 within the work zones, and several trail access points will be closed for safety. Other flood-impacted highways will remain open for cyclists, who ride at their own risk and are urged to ride using extra caution.

The second phase of work will build the remaining necessary pieces of the roadway to repair US 36 on a long-term basis, which will result in a more resilient and safer highway.