Large rocks that fell on U.S. Highway 550 about 10 miles south of Durango were blasted apart Wednesday and moved to the side of the road where they will remain until at least spring, the Colorado Department of Transportation said.
In the meantime, the lane closest to the rock wall will also remain closed until spring, leaving one northbound lane near the top of Bondad Hill, said CDOT spokeswoman Nancy Shanks. The rocks were pushed against the hillside to reinforce it and protect the highway from more rocks falling during the freeze-thaw cycle typical during spring months, she said.
“We’re going to do that for safety,” Shanks said.
A geo-hazards team that assessed the site Wednesday determined that more rocks need to be brought down. They are figuring out how and when that will be done, she said, but they anticipate the project will be completed in the “very near future.”
Traffic was stopped in both directions for about 15 minutes each time during the three blasts that took place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, CDOT said.
The rocks slid onto the highway near mile marker 6 at Bondad Hill early Sunday, and were cleared enough to allow two-lane traffic through the area.
Before moving the debris to the side of the road, CDOT officials estimated it might take much of the week to clear the estimated 700 tons of rock that came down on the highway.
“For the remainder of this week, crews continue to move rock and set barriers on Thursday, Friday and likely some of next week,” Shanks said in a news release Wednesday night. “Expect single-lane, alternating traffic between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., but no full traffic stops like those experienced during blasting today.”
Devin Smith of Waterflow, New Mexico, said he was driving north at 4:28 a.m. Sunday when rocks started to fall into his lane.
“I looked up and I saw the whole cliff moving,” he said. “I just hit the gas and hauled butt.”
Several rocks hit his Hyundai, causing scrapes to the siding, wheel hubs and front end. He thought it was an earthquake.
“It was really loud, I mean super loud,” said Smith, who was delivering New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today newspapers to Durango. “I’ve been shaking ever since. Every time I see the pictures, it gets worse.”
shane@durangoherald.com. Herald Staff Writer Ann Butler contributed to this report.
