It was the beginning of September 2013, and the slow movement of a cold front clashed with the formation of high pressure sitting southeast of our beautiful state, drawing a lot of tropical moisture from upper-level winds and creating monsoonal air. The result was what became one of Colorado’s worst natural disasters.

Twenty counties were saturated by the rains that took hold of Colorado that September. Nine fatalities, more than 2,000 destroyed homes, and nearly $4 billion in damages were just the beginning of the flood’s aftermath.

Among the many counties affected by the disaster was Boulder County, including the corridor between the mountain towns of

Lyons and Raymond. The rain triggered slides of unimaginable proportions, extensive ditch damage, and roadway embankment erosion of the terrain of Colorado Highway 7.

Roads washed away while debris, rock, and sediment were deposited in the creek, redirecting the water and causing further erosion of the channel banks and the highway. Boulder County responded as quickly as it could. Their efforts called for mandatory road closures and improvements that would last almost a decade later.

Final flood recovery repairs for CO Highway 7 Lower began on Sept. 9, 2021, led by Heather Paddock, CDOT’s Region 4 Team leader. The nine-year effort included the help of Kiewit Infrastructure Company.

Considering Colorado is one of the top environmentally friendly states in the country, the CO Highway 7 Lower Project included a zero-waste goal, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1,300 metric tons.

Repairs included the installation of 2,036 linear feet of drainage pipe, 14,100 linear feet of guardrail, 14,000 linear feet of rumble strips, 20,000 linear feet of soil stabilization, and 11,500 linear feet of river rehabilitation.

Sixty-seven thousand cubic yards of dirt and rock were moved, 13 miles of road paved with 38,500 tons of asphalt, and 38,000 plants planted in 28 acres of the canyon in the 65,000 hours it took for these repairs to be completed. Thanks to the project, bicyclists now have a four-foot wide shoulder to ride on.

There’s no denying these were much-needed repairs. Let’s also not deny that most changes come with their concerns, and the CO Highway 7 Lower Project is no exception. Among the improvements to this project will be the installation of gates near mile marker 24 in Lyons.

Like many others in our state, these gates will only be closed in emergencies and extreme weather conditions to keep drivers safe. Construction work will be minimal and over a short duration of time. Colorado Department of Transportation will manually operate the gates.

During emergencies and disasters, response times can mean the difference between safety and danger. The gates will drastically reduce response times and allow “the river and road to work in balance. The gates are no different than crews are manning road closures during a storm,” shares CDOT’s Region 4 Communication Manager, Jared Fiel.

After speaking with Fiel, he assures, “The gates make it easier for crews to close the road quickly to keep the public safe. Essentially when the gates are used, the road is not safe to drive on. Without the gates, we would have to have crews out there in trucks which is a much bigger risk.”

A documentary, “The Road to Resiliency,” about the project will be released in parts on CDOT’s YouTube Channel. The videos are still a work in progress but CDOT hopes for a release date sometime in December. They also hope to promote the documentary and host a theater premiere.

The point is that change is inevitable. Look at the bright side. Safety and community are all we have when all else fails. Let’s be thankful to have professionals looking out for all of us. Colorado uses gates throughout the state to keep people safe when a road is impassable. The Lyon gates will be no different.

To learn more or for updates, visit https://www.codot.gov/projects/co7- lyons-to-raymond or https://www.facebook.com/coloradodot.