Denver Water officials announced Tuesday that the 1-mile public-access road that crosses the top of the Dillon Dam from Dillon to Frisco would close indefinitely at the end of the day.
The board said in a news release that the public recreation trail would remain open to bicycles and pedestrians and the board will work with local officials to allow access to emergency vehicles.
Penfield Tate, a Denver water board member, said in a statement that there was no immediate threat or danger that led to the closure.
“We have decided to close the road as a proactive measure to maintain public safety,” he said.
“We are not aware of an imminent threat, but in the last several months we’ve grown far more concerned about the vulnerability of the dam and the potential for catastrophic consequences downstream if the dam were targeted.”
The utility said that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it has done several studies and consulted with state and federal agencies. The studies and talks led to the conclusion that to help ensure the safety of those who live and work below the dam, the road across it had to be closed.
Dillon Reservoir holds 254,000 acre-feet of water and is of earth-fill construction. If the dam were compromised, thousands of lives would be affected, the utility said.
“We understand that the closure will inconvenience motorists in Summit County,” Tate said. “However, we have concluded that the grave danger presented by a dam failure outweighs the disruption to travelers.”
