Copper Gulch Road (County Road 28) southwest of Canon City was reopened to traffic at noon Thursday after 3 1/2 days of emergency repairs were completed by District 3 Road and Bridge crews. The road was closed last Saturday evening after a flash flood hit the Copper Gulch area. It was estimated that a cloud burst of more than two inches of rain hit a 10 to 12 square mile area sending a torrent of flood water down the gulch.
The flood washed out one lane of the roadway in three different places along a seven mile stretch of road that was closed to traffic. Crews hauled 127 truckloads and 2,419 tons of material to accomplish the emergency repairs. Because the areas hardest hit by the flood washed away the chip seal surface, motorists will have to travel a rock and gravel surface on part of the roadway. As a result that seven mile stretch has been reopened with a 25 mile per hour posted speed limit.
Road crews will spend a couple more weeks in Copper Gulch repairing shoulders on the road. Road Foreman Curtis Stone said its likely placement of rocks and boulders along the shoulders to protect from future flooding won't be completed until later this fall. Stone expressed thanks to Hank Fry of Royal Gorge Ranch and to the Bureau of Land Management for their cooperation in permitting crews to perform work and move road base materials from areas on both private and public lands.
District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden praised the efforts of the road crews from both the Tallahassee and Cotopaxi shops in responding quickly to the flood last Saturday evening and in dealing with the necessary repairs to get Copper Gulch Road reopened after just 3 1/2 days. Norden said he understands the inconvenience such a road closure creates for people commuting to work but added that he appreciates the patience of everyone in the area during the road closure.
The flood washed out one lane of the roadway in three different places along a seven mile stretch of road that was closed to traffic. Crews hauled 127 truckloads and 2,419 tons of material to accomplish the emergency repairs. Because the areas hardest hit by the flood washed away the chip seal surface, motorists will have to travel a rock and gravel surface on part of the roadway. As a result that seven mile stretch has been reopened with a 25 mile per hour posted speed limit.
Road crews will spend a couple more weeks in Copper Gulch repairing shoulders on the road. Road Foreman Curtis Stone said its likely placement of rocks and boulders along the shoulders to protect from future flooding won't be completed until later this fall. Stone expressed thanks to Hank Fry of Royal Gorge Ranch and to the Bureau of Land Management for their cooperation in permitting crews to perform work and move road base materials from areas on both private and public lands.
District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden praised the efforts of the road crews from both the Tallahassee and Cotopaxi shops in responding quickly to the flood last Saturday evening and in dealing with the necessary repairs to get Copper Gulch Road reopened after just 3 1/2 days. Norden said he understands the inconvenience such a road closure creates for people commuting to work but added that he appreciates the patience of everyone in the area during the road closure.