COLORADO SPRINGS — U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn has thrown his support behind the “Over the River” monumental art project, which, if approved, would drape fabric over about nearly six miles of the Arkansas River between Canon City and Salida.
Lamborn, a Republican, said he met with artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude on Tuesday and they convinced him their massive art piece would be a benefit to Colorado.
He said he’s sympathetic with area residents concerned about the impact of half a million people descending on the valley.
“I know it will cause traffic problems, or I should say MORE traffic problems,” he said.
Still, he says the few weeks of inconvenience will be vastly offset by the an increase in tourism dollars and international visibility for the region.
Before Christo and Jeanne-Claude — known for such large-scale projects as “The Gates” in Central Park — can begin installation of “Over the River,” the project must pass the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s approval process, which includes an environmental impact statement. That process is expected to be completed in 2010, and, should the project be approved, the artists hope to start erecting the giant drapes by 2012.
Lamborn said he looks forward to seeing it but it won’t be from the roadside: “I want to see it from underneath in a raft.”
