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Conejos County town ordered to evacuate amid flood threat as Colorado works to restore essential road access

Lauren Penington and Celia Frazier, The Denver Post on

Published in News & Features

DENVER — Residents in the Conejos County town of Sanford have been ordered to evacuate as flooding continues to thrash southern Colorado.

The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office told residents to leave immediately and plan to be away from home for days. A shelter is available at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 521 Spruce St.

The new evacuations come as floodwaters recede in other parts of the southwest, leaving Colorado officials scrambling to repair highways and local roads before winter.

Colorado officials requested $65 million from the Federal Highway Administration to repair three main highways in the area after the first flood: U.S. 160, U.S. 550 and Colorado 151. The state received 10% of the funds up front and another $5 million for emergency repairs from Colorado’s Transportation Commission.

The U.S. Department of Transportation granted another $4 million to the U.S. Forest Service, according to a news release from the agency. The combined $10.5 million in federal funding will cover repairs to federal transportation facilities and federal-aid highways, including removing debris, rebuilding embankments, repairing bridges and otherwise restoring “essential access” to roads across the region.

“We know that this event is impacting the region’s economy and want to ensure roads are restored as soon as possible,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement.

But more aid requests may be coming as officials assess damage from the second wave of flooding, the extent of which is not yet known. That surge not only devastated new sections of highways but also disrupted repairs already underway.

“Our roads have sustained serious damage,” Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew said in a statement. “While it will take time to develop plans for permanent repair and resilience, our first order of business is to get them open before winter hits.”

Severe flooding damaged U.S. 160, a “critical route” in southern Colorado, at several points along a 100-mile stretch between Durango and South Fork, state transportation officials said. That highway is the main access route for several communities in the area, including Pagosa Springs.

“Communities across our region rely upon U.S. 160 to commute from home to work,” CDOT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan said. “This highway transports goods and services in and out of the region. It’s a lifeline.”

The following highways remained closed Tuesday morning, according to CDOT:

—U.S. 160 in both directions between Forest Service Road 621 east of Bayfield and Pagosa Boulevard west of Pagosa Springs. At least five spots along the 30-mile stretch need emergency repairs.

—U.S. 160 in both directions through Pagosa Springs, from Pike Drive to Paul Hood Place, to assist with evacuation and traffic from emergency responders.

—U.S. 160 in both directions from Forest Service Road 667 east of Pagosa Springs to County Road 20 in South Fork. At least three sections of highway along the 33-mile stretch sustained damage and need emergency repairs.

 

—U.S. 285 in both directions north of Monte Vista, from Swede Lane to County Road 6N.

—Colorado 151 in both directions south of Chimney Rock, between Old Gallegos Road and Cabazon Canyon Road.

—Colorado 17 in both directions from the New Mexico state line to Antonito. Flooding damaged a culvert near the Colorado-New Mexico border and undercut the highway between the La Manga Pass summit and Horca.

—Colorado 112 in both directions at River Road in Del Norte.

U.S. 550 was also closed north of Durango on Monday but had reopened by Tuesday morning. Floodwaters threatened the Hermosa Creek Bridge and covered the highway, state transportation officials said.

Flooding along U.S. 160 collapsed bridges, undercut the highway, destabilized road shoulders and embankments, created sinkholes and caused mudslides and rockfalls to block lanes, including on Yellow Jacket Pass and Wolf Creek Pass, officials said.

Local bridges and roads were also damaged, but the extent of the repairs needed across the region — including Archuleta, La Plata, Rio Grande, and Conejos counties — is not yet known.

“Coloradans living in the southwest part of our state have endured devastating flooding, and my heart goes out to everyone whose home, business, or community has been impacted,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “Colorado is working around the clock alongside our local partners to assess last night’s impacts, restore essential services, and repair damaged infrastructure.”

Polis requested on Saturday a presidential major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump, estimating that roughly $27 million in infrastructure had been damaged across Archuleta and Rio Grande counties. That estimate does not include damage to private property or new impacts from the Sunday floods.

The Colorado National Guard was activated after the first flood hit and rescued more than 50 people and 20 pets stranded by floodwaters. Those crews were joined Monday by Colorado Task Force 1, a 17-member FEMA swift water rescue team, and local search-and-rescue groups.

It’s unknown how many people were stranded by or rescued from the second flood.

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