CDOT opened northbound Interstate 25 at Dry Creek 5 a.m. this morning after sweeping the interstate. Southbound I-25 at Belleview was able to open at about midnight.
🎉After working all night, CDOT has finished repairs and ALL LANES NB & SB I-25 from Dry Creek to Belleview are now OPEN! 🎉
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
Shailen Bhatt, executive director of CDOT, said crews worked all night to reopen the Interstate that normally carries about 260,000 vehicles each day. To fix the highway, 70 CDOT and contract workers were deployed on the repairs, and CDOT brought in 100 tons of asphalt.
“I am extremely proud of the quick response from Team CDOT, the Greenwood Village Police Department and the South Metro Fire Department,” Bhatt said. “The damage to the roadway could have been much worse if all of these different agencies hadn’t come together to respond to the incident.”
Crews sweeping & washing NB I-25 bw Orchard/Belleview. We are extremely hopeful to open all lanes of I-25 before rush hour.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
Once the fire was extinguished, it was determined that the asphalt reached at least 450 degrees which ultimately damaged the asphalt at the scene of the fire, Bhatt said.
Hazmat crews cleared toxic chemicals and fuel before CDOT crews were able to begin milling pavement and evaluating damage. On the southbound lanes between Dry Creek and Belleview they determined that a maximum of three inches of asphalt were damaged in the left two lanes. The damage on northbound I-25 was more severe. Four inches of asphalt was damaged on the shoulder and three inches of asphalt was damaged on the lanes to the right of the median.
More repairs will be needed in coming weeks as crews replace the temporarily-repaired median, Bhatt said. Crews will also likely need to reinforce the asphalt repair on the highway that carries approximately 260,000 vehicles a day. CDOT plans to make those repairs at night in an effort to minimize traffic disruption.
— carrying 500 gallons of diesel fuel and 500 gallons of eight different types of oil — lost a tire and crashed into the median. , but his condition was unavailable Thursday morning.
Making progress on I-25 NB repairs. Milling the burned pavement so it can be replaced with new.
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
as motorists tried to steer clear of the area. The tanker continued to burn for hours after the crash, and white firefighting foam surrounded the truck while flames flickered from the wreckage.
