As the remaining flood survivors continue to be airlifted out of towns cut off by flooding, the focus is beginning to shift to recovery. Specifically on the very reason they have to be airlifted: roads.
Thanks to Colorado鈥檚 historic floods, the price tag for the road and bridge fixes could approach half a billion dollars in Northern Colorado transportation officials say.
Crews will be identifying which roads and bridges will need the most work all this week. So far, the federal government has pledged $5 million for the rebuilding efforts, with more on the way.
"There's so many people affected by this. This is probably one of Colorado's biggest disasters in terms of a mass area than I've ever seen."
The hardest were Highways 34 and 36, the main arteries into the town of Estes Park, said Johnny Olson, a regional director for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Crews are attempting to fortify Highway 7, a narrow, winding mountain road that leads to Estes before the inevitable snows shut down Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park.
A CDOT building in Greeley has become the department鈥檚 command center for the flood. Crews are dispersed by truck or helicopter to survey the landscape, or to close off more roads as the flood waters continue their move along the South Platte River toward the Colorado-Nebraska Border.
鈥淎ll of that water is basically converged together and is now moving across the Eastern Plains and creating new situations for us,鈥� said Ashley Mohr, a CDOT spokeswoman.
In communities where the high water has already plowed its way through, the focus is on restoring access. On the short list are: Lyons, Estes Park, Poudre Park, and Millikin.
鈥淭hose are the towns that we鈥檙e looking at and saying 鈥榦k, what do we gotta do to get permanent entrance into it and exit out of it. So that鈥檚 where our number one priority is,鈥� Olson said.
This flood doesn鈥檛 even begin to compare to other events his crews typically respond to, Olson said, whether it鈥檚 fire, mudslide or snowstorm.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many communities. There鈥檚 so many people affected by this,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淭his is probably one of Colorado鈥檚 biggest disasters in terms of a mass area than I鈥檝e ever seen and I鈥檝e been in the business for 21 years. It鈥檚 devastating to a lot of people.鈥�
Emotions across the Front Range are high, Olson said. The massive scope of this disaster has strained his department鈥檚 resources.
鈥淭hey are dedicated, they are loyal and they are working a lot of hours,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淭here are people running two or three hours of sleep. I know emotions are raised, but help us get through this disaster as we help you get through this disaster.鈥�
Hard figures on the amount of money it鈥檒l take to fix the state鈥檚 destroyed roadways should be out by the week鈥檚 end.
