What if something as simple as getting freight trains to stop for a moment in Grand Junction could keep businesses and jobs on the Western Slope, support Grand Valley economic-development and reduce truck traffic on Interstate 70? “It would be huge; an absolute game-changer for the Western Slope,” if rail owners Union Pacific and Burlington […]
Colorado Department of Transportation
Posted inClimate, News, Transportation
Mudslides in Glenwood Canyon force more than 100 to spend night on I-70
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — More than 100 people had to spend the night on Interstate 70, including nearly 30 who took refuge in a tunnel, after rain over an area burned by a wildfire in western Colorado once again triggered mudslides in western Colorado. The people were caught with their vehicles on I-70 in Glenwood Canyon […]
Posted inNews, Transportation
Glenwood Canyon closes again as forest ecologists scramble to seed burn zone and prevent mudslides
The National Weather Service flood watch for the Grizzly Creek burn zone came shortly before noon on Tuesday. When the watch became a warning shortly after 3 p.m., the Colorado Department of Transportation closed the interstate through the canyon for about three hours. The closure was among several for Glenwood Canyon since late June. Three […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado wants to add EV chargers to rest areas, but the federal government is blocking the road
By Nathaniel Minor, CPR News Sometime in the near future, Colorado Department of Transportation officials would like for you to be able to pull over at one of its rest areas and charge your electric vehicle. But federal law that prevents the commercialization of interstate right-of-ways — including rest areas, park-and-rides, and similar facilities across […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News
Former CDOT employee accused of stealing nearly $800K to buy gift cards, camping gear and video equipment
A former Colorado Department of Transportation employee was charged this week after prosecutors say he stole more than $770,000 from the agency over a nine-year period to buy items including gift cards, camping gear and video equipment. Aaron Victor Ceja, 48, is accused of theft, money laundering and embezzlement of public property for allegedly making […]
Posted inHousing, News, Transportation, Wildfire
Second mudslide from Grizzly Creek burn scar closes I-70 through Glenwood Canyon
Editor’s Note: Interstate 70 has since re-opened. Find the latest story here. A second weekend mudslide flowing from the Grizzly Creek burn scar closed Interstate 70 in both directions through Glenwood Canyon on Sunday. The highway was closed in both directions between the West Rifle and Dotsero exits after muddy debris covered an area in […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado is growing fast, and our roads must keep pace
Anyone who has lived in the Denver metro region, even just for a few years, acutely feels the rapid population growth, and the corresponding strain on roads and highways. Colorado’s highways were designed for a population of 3.5 million people. The state now has 5.8 million residents with that number projected to hit 7.9 million […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Unelected commissions and boards are running a large part of Colorado government and your life
I am a relative neophyte to a lot of the workings of Colorado’s state government. I am working feverishly to learn so I can share with others, and I have to tell you that some of what I am learning is an increasing cause for concern on my part. Have you ever thought about who […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Sen. Ray Scott: Instead of new fees, let’s restore Coloradans’ confidence in CDOT
During the 2018 and 2019 elections, voters in Colorado considered a number of ballot initiatives seeking to fund the renewal of our state’s transportation infrastructure. Some of those proposals would have raised taxes, others didn’t, but all of them failed. It’s clear from this that Coloradans lack confidence in the state government’s ability to prudently […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Investing in transportation is the key to Colorado’s COVID economic recovery
As of December 2020, Colorado had the fourth-highest unemployment level in the nation, with only Hawaii, Nevada and California having a worse rate. This is a far cry from early in 2020 when the state had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Clearly COVID-19 has been the main culprit, but our economy […]