CDOT to host two US 34 Canyon open houses for traffic details on upcoming road closure

September 21, 2016 - Northeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 4 - LARIMER COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation and Kiewit Infrastructure Co. will host two open houses focused on the upcoming full closure of US 34 that begins Monday, Oct. 17.

Both open houses will run from 6– 8 p.m. The first open house will be on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Big Thompson Elementary School located at 7702 U.S. 34 in Loveland. The second open house will be on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Estes Park High School, located at 1600 Manford Ave.

Members of the project team will be available at topic-specific stations to address questions. Guests are encouraged to stop by any time between 6 – 8 p.m. Please note that at this meeting CDOT will not be giving a formal presentation. The purpose of this gathering is to make sure residents and nearby communities are prepared for the full closure and have the opportunity to ask specific one-on-one questions with project representatives. The Open House stations include:

  • Construction Package 1: All major blasting activities

  • Office of Economic Development Business Grants

  • Closure information

  • VanGo registration

  • Permit Eligibility

  • Big Thompson Watershed Coalition

  • Drake design options

  • City of Loveland – Viestenz Smith Park Updates

  • Construction Package 2: Road and river work from Loveland to Drake

  • Emergency Responders

From Oct. 17 until Memorial Day 2017, the canyon will be closed to through traffic. The 3-mile closure will be east of Mile Point 80 and west of MP 77. To reach properties in the canyon, and travel between Estes Park and Loveland drivers should use the detour on US 36 and Colorado Highway 66.

The only through access on US 34 will be for canyon residents and emergency services through a permit process. Residents will obtain permits and will be allowed through the canyon from 6 to 8:30 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. only. During these timeframes, travel on US 34 between mile points 77 and 80 will not be free-flowing and permit holders should plan for delays as pilot cars lead vehicles in both directions through the three-mile long work zone. This permit distribution process is currently underway.

US 34 Big Thompson Canyon’s roads and bridges were heavily damaged during the 2013 floods with many homes damaged and over 100 air lifted evacuations.  The canyon and its residents also suffered from flooding in 1976. As a result of these two events CDOT has been studying the hydraulic flow of the river in the canyon and its impact on the road and bridges along its path while looking for safety improvements and resiliency solutions to prevent/protect against future flood events. 

CDOT PROJECT INFORMATION:  For updates to this project, the public may call (970) 667-1005 or visit us34canyon.codot.gov. To sign up for “CDOT Alerts” on projects in your chosen area, visit CDOT’s website at www.codot.gov and choose the envelope icon at the bottom of the page. Or, to see CDOT’s lane closure reports for projects statewide, visit www.codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. Major CDOT project updates are also available via CoTrip.org, Twitter @coloradodot or Facebook. Also, you can download the free CDOT Mobile app for information regarding the I-70 and I-25 corridors by texting “CDOT” to 25827 or search CDOT Mobile in your App Store.