Sinkhole Repaired | Northbound CO 133 Restored in Carbondale
CARBONDALE — Northbound traffic on Colorado Highway 133 in Carbondale is back to normal. Today the Colorado Department of Transportation repaired a large sinkhole located just south of the intersection of CO 133 and Main Street, near Mile Point 68. Crews filled, tamped down, capped, and paved the sinkhole, which measured 15 feet in diameter by 12 feet deep. Filling the sinkhole required 125 tons of road base material, delivered with 10 truckloads. Once the sinkhole was repaired and repaved, northbound CO 133 was restored to the roadway at approximately 3:30pm and CDOT ended the short detour nearby. Southbound traffic on CO 133 was not affected throughout the sinkhole investigation and repair.
CDOT thanks the Town of Carbondale for assisting with the immediate and extended response to the sinkhole discovery, including creating a detour, overnight monitoring and providing essential equipment for repairing the hole today.
The sinkhole opened up on Wednesday when a longtime CDOT maintenance employee, Tim Holbrook, tried to fill a pothole on the busy local highway. What looked like a small depression began breaking open and revealed a 12-foot drop into a cavernous, dark hole. “I thought I was staring down into my tomb and grave,” said Holbrook afterwards. CDOT is thankful Tim is safe. His dedication to keeping Colorado’s roads safe truly averted what could have been a catastrophic event.
CDOT will continue to monitor the sinkhole for erosion or changes. At this time a cause remains unclear, and CDOT will continue to work with internal and external experts to determine the source.
REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE
The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.
- Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
- Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
- Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
- Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so
- Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
- Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
- Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
- Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
- Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
- Be patient!
COVID-19
Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, construction continues on CDOT projects with social distancing and other health safety measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO and practice social distancing, wear face masks, stay at home when possible, and avoid nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely.
WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.
In early 2019, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to heighten safety awareness. This initiative takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.
