The 14.7-mile Mount Evans Highway will not reopen to traffic by Memorial Day weekend as planned because of heavy May snowfall, officials said Tuesday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said as of the end of day Monday crews were only able to clear six miles.
“(Colorado) 5 typically is opened to the summit on the Friday before Memorial Day,” CDOT said in a news release. “However, despite the best efforts of CDOT maintenance crews to have the road cleared to the top of Mount Evans — 14,264 feet — an additional 4 feet of snow has fallen this month, often canceling out previous clearing operations that began on April 28.”
CDOT says it does not have an accurate assessment of when it will open the road.
” to get the entire road open in time for Memorial Day,” Tony DeVito, CDOT regional transportation director, said in a statement. “But with the holiday occurring earlier in the month and the wet, heavy snow we’ve gotten up there this spring, it has been quite the challenge.”
On top of the snow removal, CDOT says it has yet to complete work stabilizing the eroding parts of the highway above Lincoln Lake. Officials estimate that after work continues on that area next week it will be less than a month before it is complete.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
