The CDOT expects the entire highway to be open in October. This depends on the weather being kind enough to let the contractors from Kraemer North America rebuild the retaining wall, embankment and pavement without interference. In the meantime, that particular section on US 36 has the two lanes in the westbound direction serving drivers going in both directions. Poster printing on-site is a great way to inform drivers about the temporary lane-sharing.
Investigations are still being carried out on what caused the collapse. The eastbound side was closed after growing cracks were found on the pavement. A 200-foot wide part collapsed soon after and preliminary reports suggest that the collapse was caused by wet clay, which caused the ground to shift.
Joshua Laipply, the CDOT’s Chief Engineer, updated the public in a press release where he said:
“We are pleased to begin the rebuilding phase of this section of eastbound U.S. 36, and we look forward to getting traffic along this stretch back to normal as soon as possible.”
The contractors were forced to completely remove the road’s supporting structures and rebuild them. CDOT is taking this as an opportunity to build the road using more modern materials such as geofoam blocks rather than backfill dirt for the retaining wall. Caissons will also be drilled into the bedrock for added stability.