A 2.5 Million Pound Boulder Crashed Down onto a Colorado Highway
In many parts of Colorado, drivers are used to seeing the bright yellow 'falling rock' signs on the side of the road, and from time to time, even have to deal with rock slides impeding their routes.
Over the weekend while most people were relaxing and enjoying their time off, CDOT crews in southwest Colorado were hard at work dealing with the impact of a major rock and landslide, involving a massive 2.5 million pound boulder.
The enormous rock, which CDOT compared to the size of a building, came crashing down onto a State Highway 145, about 12 miles north of Dolores, Colorado, during the late afternoon on Friday, May 24. Following the initial boulder, a second, even larger one came tumbling down, resulting in an 8-foot trench stretching across the highway. The boulder damage caused CDOT to have to close a 37-mile stretch of the road, and some parts are still closed indefinitely. They began clearing loose rock from the area Saturday night and the next day, crews then had to work on blasting the boulder, which measured approximately 48 feet by 18 feet by 18 feet.
Fortunately, no one was injured when the boulders landed on the highway, but it is unknown when crews will be able to totally clear the area.