How to Build a Road
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the complexities of constructing roads, particularly the engineering feats involved in building I-70 through Colorado's Rocky Mountains. It discusses the challenges of road design, including slope considerations for safety and the environmental impact of construction. The narrative delves into the history of I-70's development, the innovative techniques used to overcome geographical obstacles, and the ongoing management required to maintain safety and functionality in a dynamic landscape.
Takeaways
- 🛣️ Road design is complex due to the need for specific slopes to ensure safety, especially at turns where slopes counteract centripetal force.
- 🔍 The American Federal Highway Administration provides a formula for determining road slope based on design speed and turn radius, but this is just one interpretation among many debated by professionals.
- 🚚 Road designers prefer to adjust the road's lateral slope rather than its linear slope to accommodate vehicles, especially heavily loaded trucks.
- 🏔 Building roads through challenging terrains like Colorado's Rocky Mountains requires innovative solutions, such as tunnels or extensive earthwork.
- 🌊 Rivers often provide the flattest and most gradual routes through mountainous regions, making them ideal for road construction.
- 💡 The choice of route for a road can be influenced by factors such as population density, directness, and construction costs, not just terrain.
- 🚧 Constructing roads involves extensive earthmoving, including cutting into hillsides and filling low areas, which is both costly and complex.
- 🌱 Environmental considerations, such as protecting water sources and preventing erosion, are critical in road construction, especially in sensitive areas.
- ⏱️ The construction and maintenance of roads like I-70 are ongoing challenges that require constant management and adaptation to environmental changes.
- 💼 The operation and upkeep of major roads have significant economic impacts and require careful planning and investment, as seen with the Federal infrastructure package.
Q & A
Why are flat roads considered dangerous for driving?
-Flat roads are dangerous because a flat turn can increase the potential of a car skidding off due to the lack of friction needed to counteract the centripetal force during turns.
How do road designers counteract the dangers of flat turns?
-Road designers slope the corners inward to provide more friction and counteract the centripetal force, which helps to prevent cars from skidding off during turns.
What is the American Federal Highway Administration's role in road design?
-The American Federal Highway Administration provides a formula that converts design speed and turn radius into a suggested slope for road turns, which is their interpretation of the safest slope.
Why is there debate among road designers and mathematicians regarding super elevation formulas?
-The debate arises because some suggest more severe banking on turns to accommodate the higher centers of gravity of trucks, while others argue that steeper slopes may not be worth the benefit due to issues they create for slower moving vehicles, especially in conditions like snow and ice.
What is the maximum sideways slope typically used in road design?
-The maximum sideways slope used in road design is generally about 12 percent, but it is usually quite a bit less and is only applied on corners.
Why did the original designers of America's Interstate system avoid building roads through the Rocky Mountains?
-The original designers avoided building roads through the Rocky Mountains because of the immense challenge of finding a route that could meet the narrow accepted range of linear and lateral slopes required for safe road construction.
What was the reason for choosing the northern route for I-70 through the Colorado Rockies initially?
-The northern route was initially chosen because it followed rivers, which typically center mountain valleys and fall gradually, providing a gentle linear gradient ideal for road construction with the primary gradient correction needed in the lateral direction.
Why did Pavlo engineering company not ultimately suggest the northern route for I-70?
-Pavlo engineering company did not suggest the northern route because it was a longer, less direct route with a sparsely populated area, making it of lesser use to locals and more expensive to construct compared to the southern route.
What was the main challenge faced when deciding the route for I-70 through Vail Pass?
-The main challenge was balancing the need for a road that could safely and efficiently traverse the steep and rugged terrain of Vail Pass without disturbing environmentally sensitive areas and without requiring extensive earthwork and tunnel construction.
How did the construction of I-70 over Vail Pass impact the local environment and community?
-The construction had to carefully manage runoff and erosion to protect the watershed, especially Black Gore Creek, which was critical for local communities. It also had to adapt to the delicate landscape, using techniques like re-vegetation, retaining walls, and桥梁 to minimize environmental impact.
What measures did the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) take to manage the safety and maintenance of I-70, especially in challenging sections like Eisenhower Tunnel and Glenwood Canyon?
-CDOT implemented measures such as banning Hazmat trucks from Eisenhower Tunnel to prevent catastrophic incidents, triggering avalanches remotely to prevent unexpected avalanches, and closing the highway during heavy rain forecasts to manage mudslides in Glenwood Canyon.
What is the significance of the Federal infrastructure package for the upgrades and maintenance of I-70?
-The Federal infrastructure package provides crucial funding for necessary upgrades and maintenance of I-70, ensuring the road remains safe, efficient, and capable of serving the economic and transportation needs of Colorado and the surrounding regions.
Outlines
🛣️ Road Design Challenges and the Engineering of I-70
This paragraph discusses the complexities of road design, particularly the challenges of constructing roads that are both safe and practical. It highlights the need for roads to be flat to prevent skidding but also sloped to provide friction during turns. The American Federal Highway Administration's formula for determining the optimal slope of turns is mentioned, along with the ongoing debate among designers and mathematicians. The paragraph also touches on the unique difficulties faced in constructing I-70 through Colorado's Rocky Mountains, including the initial decision to avoid the mountains, the selection of a route, and the engineering solutions employed, such as the world's highest road tunnel at the time.
🏔️ Navigating the Terrain: The Construction of I-70 Through the Mountains
The second paragraph delves into the specific challenges of constructing I-70 through the mountains, including the initial plan to tunnel under Red Buffalo Pass and the subsequent decision to divert due to environmental concerns and protected land. The chosen alternative route, Veil Pass, is described, along with its advantages and disadvantages, such as the manageable gradients and lower elevation but also the added length and cost. The process of road construction, from the initial surveying to the cutting and filling of earth, is outlined, emphasizing the significant costs and the need to reshape the landscape to accommodate the road.
🌧️ Water Management and Environmental Considerations in Road Building
This paragraph focuses on the critical issue of water management in road construction, especially in the context of I-70's construction over Vail Pass. The challenges of runoff, soil erosion, and the impact on local water supplies are discussed, along with the measures taken to mitigate these issues, such as the use of hay bales, sandbags, and sedimentation basins. The importance of re-vegetation and the establishment of a stable uphill slope to prevent erosion are highlighted. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the long-term management of water around roadways to protect the environment and ensure the road's sustainability.
⚠️ The Ongoing Management and Safety of I-70
The fourth paragraph discusses the continuous management and safety concerns of I-70, especially in the context of its treacherous sections such as the Eisenhower Tunnel and Glenwood Canyon. The tunnel's operational challenges, including traffic congestion and the prohibition of Hazmat trucks, are explained. The paragraph also covers the proactive measures taken to manage avalanches and the recent issues faced in Glenwood Canyon due to wildfires and mudslides. The importance of adapting to the shifting priorities in road safety and the constant evolution of the landscape is emphasized.
🗺️ The Impact and Future of I-70
The final paragraph reflects on the transformative impact of I-70 on Colorado's economy and human geography, as well as the ongoing upgrades and maintenance required to keep the road functional and safe. It mentions the Federal infrastructure package that has funded current improvements and the importance of managing the road's complexities. The paragraph concludes with a sponsorship message encouraging a balanced and transparent approach to understanding media coverage and political perspectives, highlighting the value of diverse news sources.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Road Design
💡Superelevation
💡Centripetal Force
💡Interstate 70 (I-70)
💡Elevation
💡Environmental Impact
💡Cutting and Filling
💡Retaining Walls
💡Avalanche Control
💡Mudslides
💡Infrastructure Management
Highlights
Roads require a specific shape to ensure safety and functionality, with slopes designed to counteract centripetal force and provide friction for vehicles.
The American Federal Highway Administration has a formula to suggest the safest slope for turns based on design speed and turn radius.
Road designers and mathematicians debate the merits of different super elevation formulas for road turns.
The sideways slope of a road corner is limited to about 12%, with most being less, affecting the overall cross-section design.
Linear slopes in the direction of travel are kept minimal to allow heavy trucks to climb safely, with a maximum rise of six vertical feet per 100 horizontal.
Finding a route for I-70 through Colorado's Rocky Mountains was initially deemed too challenging due to the terrain.
Pavlo engineering identified several options for the I-70 route through the mountains, considering cost and gradient.
River routes are preferred for road construction due to their tendency to center mountain valleys and gradual fall, reducing construction costs.
The northern route for I-70 was initially cheaper and less complex, but ultimately deemed less practical due to its indirect nature and lower population.
The selection of the southern route for I-70 required creativity and innovation, including the construction of the world's highest road tunnel at the time.
Environmental concerns and protected areas influenced the route selection for I-70, leading to public pushback and policy changes.
The construction of I-70 involved meticulous planning and earth-moving techniques to reshape the landscape for a safe and efficient road.
Environmental regulations and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 influenced construction practices to minimize environmental impact.
I-70's construction over Vail Pass was an engineering marvel, carefully designed to fit the landscape and local values.
The cost of constructing I-70 over Vail Pass was significant, reflecting the complexity and environmental considerations of the project.
Managing I-70 requires constant adaptation and maintenance to address safety issues, environmental impacts, and changing conditions.
The Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 is a critical but challenging section, with policies in place to manage hazardous materials and maintain safety.
Avalanche and mudslide management are part of the routine safety measures for I-70, especially in areas prone to such natural events.
The Federal infrastructure package has enabled upgrades to I-70, reflecting the ongoing need for maintenance and improvement of this critical transportation route.
Transcripts
so you want to build a road first is
perhaps the most impossible feat finding
a route that's because roads have a
particular shape that Earth often does
not both linearly and laterally they're
fairly flat but not completely flat flat
roads are dangerous a flat turn will
increase the potential of a car skidding
off so Road designers slope the corners
inward to counteract centripetal force
and give the car more friction the
higher the speed and the sharper the
turn the more sloped the turn needs
meaning there is a theoretically safest
slope for a turn the American Federal
Highway Administration has a formula
that converts design speed and turn
radius into a suggested slope but that's
only their interpretation of it Road
designers and mathematicians endlessly
shoot academic papers back and forth
debating the merits of this and other
super elevation formulas some suggest
more severe banking on turns to
accommodate the higher centers of
gravity of trucks others argue that
steeper slopes are not worth the benefit
due to the issues they create for slower
moving vehicles in the event of snow and
ice and it gets far more complex Flex
than that but this is all largely
irrelevant because at the very very most
the sideways slope will be about 12
percent but it's normally quite a bit
less and it's only on Corners so overall
a relatively flat cross section is
needed regardless linearly in the
direction of travel even less of a slope
is tolerated in order to allow heavily
loaded trucks to safely climb into sand
Highway should rise or fall no more than
six vertical feet or meters for every
100 horizontal so in combination the
narrow accepted range of linear and
lateral slopes presents a challenge when
you need a road to go over this
Colorado's Rocky Mountains originally
America's Interstate designers didn't
dare attempt to Traverse these Peaks
I-70 was originally supposed to end in
Denver leaving the states as the only in
the region without a Trans Mountain
Interstate after intense lobbying though
Washington relented designers would have
to find a route through the E Lionel
Pavlo engineering company was tasked
with identifying the cheapest flattest
route through the mountains one year
later they were turned with these seven
options at first glance the northern
route seemed best as it best subscribed
to one of the most tried and tested Road
routing shortcuts Rivers you see see any
route through the mountains is going to
require a certain amount of earthwork
and the slope is perpendicular to the
road you cut a flat section into the
slope at Great expense by one estimate a
50 slope doubles construction costs but
using Earth to achieve the required
gradient in the linear direction is even
more expensive simply due to the sheer
distance and volume of earth involved so
considering they're either going to need
to flatten linearly or laterally road
builders would much rather do so
laterally the best place to find routes
like this is by Rivers that's because
they typically Center mountain valleys
and fall rather gradually for example
the mighty Colorado River only drops
about a mile of elevation across the 280
it traverses through this date despite
being surrounded by terrains steep
enough for a mile of elevation gained to
occur over a mile of horizontal distance
the gentle Riverside linear gradient is
perfect for road construction leaving
the primary gradient correction to the
lateral Direction which can be done at
lesser expense therefore on a per mile
basis this Northern route was Far
cheaper and less complex the only
section That Couldn't easily sit at a
reasonable grade was here traversing the
Continental Divide where they'd need to
build a tunnel but after that the road
would follow the Fraser and Colorado
Rivers each shepherding a flat mellow
path to the mountains
but the Pavlo engineering company didn't
ultimately suggest this route its
justification was first at this Northern
area of Colorado was relatively sparsely
populated even by Rocky Mountain
standards meaning this route would be of
lesser use to those actually living in
the stage rather than traversing and
perhaps more crucially even with the
relatively simple geography it was a far
longer less direct route this meant that
even though the southern route would
require traversing two high elevation
passes rather than one Pavlo thought it
could be built for some 55 million
dollars less it would just require some
creativity inevitably this route 2 would
require a tunnel that's because it
crossed the continental divide the
geographic split between the side of the
country where Rivers drain into the
Atlantic and the side where they drain
into the Pacific inherently rivers from
one side don't connect to those on the
other meaning there generally are not
mellow mountain valleys for roads to
follow up and across the Divide there's
simply a wall of massively High
massively steep Peaks meaning traversing
it was going to require either a massive
feat of engineering to create an
interstate standard Road climbing up to
nearly 12 000 feet or 3 700 meters or
the construction of the world's highest
elevation Road tunnel at 11 000 feet or
3 400 meters incredibly given the
gradients and weather in the area the
tunnel was ultimately selected as the
more practical option that left the
other pass the interstate was definitely
going to go through Silverthorne and it
was definitely going to go through Veil
but standing between the two towns was a
similarly formidable stretch of
mountains initially the answer was to
just go straight climb up this Valley
then tunnel under red buffalo pass this
would require building a similarly
daunting tunnel but it would keep the
highway on its straight efficient route
through the state the only issue was
that the land surrounding this pass was
part of the forest service's Eagle's
Nest Wilderness Area a stretch of
pristine protected nature that was not
supposed to be disturbed by anything
this along with the ascent of the
environmental movement more broadly led
to massive public pushback they argued
that it was bad enough for the highway
to be disturbing the environmentally
sensitive area at all but for it to pass
to one of the highest categories of
protected land was simply untenable as
the official in charge of the forest
service the final call rested in the
fans of Orville Freeman the secretary of
agriculture in a shock decision after
alignment planning had already started
on the red buffalo route he said no I-70
would have to divert elsewhere the
alternative was clear Veil pass with its
more manageable gradients and
comparatively lower 10 600 foot 3200
meter elevation this route could
actually be navigated without a tunnel
the downside was that the 10 miles or 16
kilometers in added length would lead to
an estimated 94 cents in additional Fuel
and maintenance cost for every driver
but at least after years of debate study
surveying and consensus building finally
Colorado's Trans Mountain Interstate had
a route now they just needed to turn it
into reality
up to this point much of the work had
been done from top down when it's time
to build though this orientation flips
as road construction happens one layer
at a time from the bottom up
Veil pass is undeniably steep but by
Rocky Mountain standards not impossibly
steep in fact while the section from
Veil to Vale pass reaches a grade over
the preferred range of zero to six
percent the pass averages roughly a
Colorado comfortable 4.5 grade linear
grade in other words was a challenge but
the lateral would prove an even bigger
headache to transform undulating unruly
topography into a uniform Transportation
throughway planners start by turning in
their overhead projections for a map of
a different sort a side cut now it's
time to create a path flat enough and
wide enough for a road this starts with
building a road base which in turn
requires the Earth moving processes of
cutting and filling processes
straightforward enough that their name
does mostly explaining fill Earth where
it's needed and cut away where it isn't
at its simplest cutting and filling
begins first with surveying in the field
then with measurements made moves to
paper becoming an exercise in
rudimentary math first the proposed
route is broken into 100 foot or 30
meter sections called station then at
each station or half station players
look at the side cut and figure out
where dirt needs to be added and where
it needs to be removed if a Road's going
into a hillside for instance the cut
will be on the uphill side The Fill on
the downhill side with the Earth from
the cut being moved to the fill on flat
land there's likely to be more fill than
cut as a road will be positioned to sit
higher than its surroundings so water
will shut off the road shoulder rather
than pool once the amount of Earth
required to move is figured out at one
particular station it's on to the next
station to do the same math than the
next then the next after that and once
all these values are figured out the
planer now has a rough sense as to how
much Earth will need to be moved and how
much time material and money will cost
across the entire length of the roadway
according to a Florida Department of
Transportation cost estimating model
this part of the process cutting and
filling or Excavating and banking for
divided four-lane highway across a rural
landscape would cost in itself over 1
million dollars a mile which makes up
nearly a quarter of the per mile price
though a task that's easy to wrap one's
head around it's one that requires a
fundamental reshaping of a landscape and
thus a lot of money and this estimates
for the flat seat of Florida not
Colorado a state where protruding Peaks
and a rocky disposition make it easy for
Earth moving costs to shoot a mile high
before I-70 crested over Vale pass it
was U.S Highway 6. a small two-lane road
cut into the north side of the canyon
that was Notorious for its sharp turns
and difficult driving it was dangerous
to the point that motorists often
avoided it opting for the smoother safer
but exceptionally indirect us-40 to
build a bigger Road effectively two us-6
is while making the road safe enough to
move unfamiliar Americans across at a 60
mile per hour clip it would need to be a
lot more earthwork but in such a tight
space and such a pristine and delicate
environment it would also be major
constraints the first was this tiny
Creek
while a waterway that only a fraction of
coloradans can actually name black or
creek was and is critical to the
communities below filling the
recreational reservoirs near the past
supplying drinking water to Veil and
eventually dedicating its flow to a
section of Creek below the town of vale
that's earned the distinction as a gold
medal water for trout fishing Blackboard
Creek is important locals knew as much
and federal planners knew as much so
when it came to figure out where to
flatten out enough space for a road base
the question of what it would do to the
Watershed became an important one runoff
is a tricky business in Road building it
first presents a challenge during
construction but handled improperly will
remain a challenge for the lifespan of a
road unveil past this challenge was
exacerbated by perpetually Sandy soils
rapid snowmelt in late spring and
pounding rainfall in mid-summer with the
passage of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1970 I-70 contractors were
just beginning to understand
environmental impact statements and
pollution laws when they were awarded
contracts to get the interstate over the
mountain now rather than just being fast
they had to be diligent 2 or face the
fines City officials Downstream from the
project for their part were concerned
about construction as the loose soil at
the pass was already silting up the
town's water supply before any
construction tore out grass and
vegetation upslope so contractors as
they do today meticulously tested the
water to ensure that sediment hadn't
risen to unacceptable levels under their
watch to keep these levels low during
construction teams placed hay bales and
sandbags to slow runoff and directed to
settlement basins water would inevitably
make it to the stream but if they slowed
it and let the particles settle to the
bottom it wouldn't carry too much dirt
down with it but these are temporary
problems with temporary fixes there's
also the challenge of dealing with water
once a Road's complete and this is such
a critical concern of road building that
the U.S Department of Transportation
project development and design manual
dedicates an entire chapter to the
subject of water basically the question
this entire chapter revolves around is
how to best move water around and
off-roadways without ruining the nearby
surroundings the answer begins above the
cut and starts during the construction
phase the very moment a road base is
established it's a race to re-vegetate
the slope above the road with grasses
and Shrubbery that will hold the land in
place when it rains generally planers
look to keep the uphill slope no steeper
than a ratio of two to one for every two
units the slope extends horizontally it
may safely rise one with a harsher
environment Veil past planners opted for
slopes of 2.5 to 1 or less and to give
Grass at their best chance sprayed
hillsides with Mulch on the steepest
sections and place netting to help the
seed take hold for natural depressions
that served as drainages for the hill
signs teams placed thirsty Willows and
boulders to both naturalized the
landscape and slow the flow unveil pass
and generally in Highway construction
Builders will make the most of these
perpendicular drainages and actually cut
uphill ditches running parallel with the
road to divert runoff headed for Highway
to the drainage then below via Culvert
we're applicable paralleling ditches
culverts and re-vegetation have proved
tried and true techniques to manage
runoff and mitigate erosion in call
Colorado and elsewhere but in the narrow
confines below the pass neither simple
cut and fills nor their drainage systems
were always applicable to ensure that
road fill wouldn't spill into black Gore
or 10 Mile Creek planers instead opted
for retaining walls where rock
formations made a smooth 2-1 cut
impossible explosives blasted Shear
walls out of troublesome rock formations
while netting and planted topsoil placed
above mitigated future rockfall and most
unique to this particular section of
Interstate are the sections neither
blown into the Rock nor cut into the
Mountainside but the 23 separate
sections of the interstate that float
across the landscape on bridges that
were placed to account for the fact that
almost the entire Road from Vale to the
Past sits on a fault line and a series
of still-shifting historical landslides
with the cuts and fills the exposed rock
cuts and the bridges this section of
roadway is practically a highway
building handbook on its own and as an
exemplary Road of nearly every trick and
technique available to Road Engineers it
wasn't cheap when Vail Pass was proudly
dedicated in 1978 estimates put the cost
of the 24 Mile 39 kilometer section at
an estimated 91 million dollars adjusted
for inflation that's nearly 427 million
dollars total 18 million dollars per
mile or 11 million dollars per kilometer
and yet with all that money spent
driving over Vail Pass doesn't feel as
if you're passing over an engineering
Marvel that's conquered a landscape but
rather a road that almost seems a part
of it with a delicate landscape front of
mind while crossing four service land
and connecting ski resorts and a host of
other Recreation hot spots every Last
Detail along the past from the red
tinged concrete to match the local rock
Boulder strewn across revegetation areas
and Frank Lloyd wright-inspire retaining
walls to the manner in which rock was
blasted to make it look more natural the
section of Interstate was built to fit
the landscape and the values of the area
around it something that's not lost on
contemporary planners who have carefully
codified these specific design traits
for future additions or alterations on
the past in this way though I-70 is the
same as any other Road designed uniquely
to fit its environment and best serve a
particular purpose but even once
designed and built for that environment
the environment is constantly shifting
which means that roads especially those
as complex as I-70 need constant
Management in order to stay safe with
its tight turns Steep gradients and
volatile weather the entirety of this
road is treacherous but with their
inherently limited resources the
Colorado Department of Transportation
focuses its efforts most on the sections
that are most dangerous and most
disruptive to close down Eisenhower
Tunnel that highest road tunnel in the
U.S is one such spot even under the best
conditions the slower speeds of the
tunnel turn it into a choke point that
causes massive notorious traffic
backlogs if the tunnel closes an entire
interstate's worth of traffic must
divert onto the winding treacherous
two-lane Loveland Pass which turns a bad
traffic situation catastrophic but there
simply are not Alternatives the next
shortest diversion is two hours long
over another treacherous mountain pass
so CDOT does everything possible to keep
Eisenhower Tunnel open
this starts with some controversial
rules Hazmat trucks carrying fuel
chemicals or other hazardous materials
are not allowed through the tunnel the
logic is that a fuel tanker fire for
instance would be absolutely
catastrophic in such an enclosed space
while the tunnel does have its own fire
department that can handle smaller
incidents its remote location means that
getting full resources to combat such a
Hazmat incident could take hours in
which time the tunnel could be damaged
to an extent that could take months or
years to fix let alone the risk to any
drivers trapped inside what this means
is that Hazmat trucks must take the
treacherous Loveland Pass instead which
CDOT plows up to its near 12 000 foot 3
700 meter peak all through the winter
making it Colorado's highest year-round
Road of course navigating a fuel tanker
up a steep winding road to 12 000 feet
in the middle of a Colorado winter is
far from safe so Trucking industry
Advocates argue that this policy is
effectively trading the safety of truck
drivers for the convenience of ski
commuters but after a recent feasibility
study reevaluating the policy CDOT
maintain means that it's the best
balance of safety overall
but even I-70 itself is plenty
treacherous in the winter after all this
is the highest elevation section of
interstate in the U.S given their
proximity to the continental divide both
sides of the tunnel are flanked by steep
Mountain faces and with steep Mountain
faces calm Avalanches this is Mount
Bethel and these two tree-free corridors
are the telltale signs of an avalanche
path if an avalanche were to trigger
without warning the snow and debris
could bury the roadway for hours or even
days and potentially even bury people
therefore CDOT triggers Avalanches
themselves at the start of each winter
the department positions Obelix trigger
devices at the top of slide paths on
each side of the tunnel these remotely
triggered egg-shaped capsules shoot out
a concussive Blast From The Bottom that
if the conditions are right trigger an
avalanche in the snow below this allows
CDOT to close the interstate during a
low traffic period to assure nobody gets
caught up and Trigger Avalanches
regularly enough that no single slide
will catastrophically bury the roadway
but especially in a landscape like
Colorado the priority list of road
safety issues is constantly shifting
meaning CDOT has to adapt in recent
years Glenwood Canyon 80 minutes to the
West has become the interstate's new
most sensitive section it follows the
Colorado River through a deep Canyon
with thousand foot walls and in the
event of a closure there is simply no
viable diversion route what normally
takes 30 minutes turns into a four hour
Trek across rural two-lane roads
effectively cutting off the entire
Western Slope from Denver but in 2020
the road was shut for 13 days as a
wildfire swept through the canyon and
even that was the least of its issues as
the fire burned the plant life whose
Roots kept soil in place rainstorms
cascaded into massive mudslides that
would bury the road and potentially
drivers unlike Avalanches mudslides
can't be remotely triggered during a
managed closure forcing CDOT to rather
close the highway whenever Heavy Rain
was forecasted bifurcating the state
just by the threat of weather with
shifting threats and ever-changing
demand managing a road like I-70 is an
endless job CDOT and his Personnel
constantly face new challenges to keep
this crucial conduit flowing after all
it's a road whose existence was once
thought impossible but considering its
impossible existence has transformed the
entire State's economy and Human
Geography its operation is now just
simply crucial
with decades having now passed since
i-70's original construction it's due
for upgrades and plenty are happening
right now thanks to funding from the one
trillion dollar Federal infrastructure
package passed two years ago now this
was something where Congressional and
public opinion was split evenly down
party lines and the media coverage about
the passing of the bill often framed the
issue in terms of who's winning and
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