DELTA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) — Fifteen-minute delays can be expected next week on Highway 133 for rockfall mitigation, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Roadwork will begin on Monday, July 22, along the highway between Paonia and Carbondale, near the Paonia State Park and Reservoir. The work is expected to be completed by late October.
There will be four locations that will be worked on along a 7-mile stretch between mile markers 24 and 31.
CDOT said the work will include:
- Rock bolting which consists of inserting steel bars into holes drilled into the rock face to stabilize the rock.
- Installing mesh that anchors wire mesh to the rock face to prevent rockfalls.
- Rock scaling which removes loose rock from slopes, cliff walls and ridgelines.
- Ditch cleaning which removes rock, sediment and debris from roadside ditches.
“The project will decrease the potential of rockfall hazard for motorists,” CDOT Regional Transportation Director Jason Smith said in a press release. “CDOT monitors areas prone to rockslides across the state. Our geohazards team recently inspected and evaluated this section of CO 133 and identified it as needing slope stabilization. The mitigation work will improve travel safety and protect the highway from damage by lowering the amount of debris that could fall and reach the roadway.”
CDOT noted normal work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Motorists will see full stops and alternate lane closures with delays of up to 15 minutes. The speed limit will be reduced throughout the work zone.
"The public is urged to be prepared for full stops, especially trucks with trailers or boats and commercial big rigs coming downhill from Carbondale," according to the department.
"Motorists should also carefully observe lowered speed limits throughout the job sites for the safety of the workers and the traveling public. The project team will be mindful of local events and avoid weekend work, when possible, in order to facilitate community and visitor traffic in the area and to Paonia State Park."