Eastbound US 36 Lanes Open Ahead Of Schedule

BOULDER, CO — The Colorado Department of Transportation opened eastbound lanes of U.S. 36 a day ahead of schedule. Two westbound lanes were converted into eastbound lanes in time for Tuesday's rush hour.

Work continues on the highway west of the Church Ranch Road after wet soil caused a slope failure Friday and the highway split open. The crack grew to more than 300 feet long and 60 feet wide, CDOT officials said.

The westbound lanes were not compromised, CDOT said. The lanes are separated by concrete barriers.

"Travel is this area will be slower than usual, so motorists are advised to expect some delays and give themselves extra time when traveling the corridor during peak periods," CDOT said in a news release.

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CDOT also had to close the bike path over the railroad bridge for safety reasons. A detour is in place.

“CDOT greatly appreciates the patience of travelers during this challenge with the roadway failure,” said CDOT Executive Director Shohana Lew. “US 36 is a vital corridor to the Denver Metro region and it’s critical we keep all travel lanes open. The CDOT team has worked around the clock to get eastbound travel lanes open as soon and as safely as possible to keep people and commerce moving. We are now working to get a contractor on board to rebuild the section of EB US 36 that collapsed, and we will continue to keep the public informed.”

CDOT expects to have the construction contractor on board this week to rebuild the section of U.S. 36 that collapsed, officials said.