Commuters who have gritted their teeth while crawling along Interstate 25 where a giant sinkhole is being repaired can breathe a sigh of relief Saturday, when the work is scheduled to be completed.
“After that, it will be like the sinkhole never happened,” said Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Stacey Stegman.
Several northbound lanes near the 58th Avenue exit disappeared in a torrent of water Feb. 7, when a 5-foot-wide water main ruptured and opened a 40-by-40-foot sinkhole 16 feet deep. Work, which began eight days ago, will be completed at 5:30 a.m Saturday.
CDOT expects Denver Water to pay for the cost of repairing the road, which could be up to $1.5 million, Stegman said.
Commuters who use the highway after 8 p.m. today should be prepared for delays. Traffic flow will be reduced to one lane through the repair site, and the bottleneck will remain until all four through lanes and two exit lanes reopen Saturday morning. The northbound ramp to 58th Avenue also will be closed. HOV/Express Lanes will be open, but tolls will be charged for solo drivers. CDOT is urging drives to seek alternate routes.
