Cripple Creek Sends Sinkhole Kudos

Bruce Brown, Mayor of Cripple Creek, recently wrote to CDOT Executive Director Don Hunt to say thanks to all of the CDOT employees who were involved in addressing a sinkhole that opened on SH 67 near Cripple Creek on Aug. 11.

As often happens, the sinkhole could not have occurred at a worse time.  Although a lengthy paved detour was utilized, Cripple Creek was set to host one of its biggest events of the year, the Salute to American Veterans Rally and Festival, just a week later.  It had already been a tough summer with a lengthy closure of U.S. 24 between Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs due to the Waldo Canyon Wildfire, and the community was counting on a successful Veterans Rally.

"Your staff took complete professional control of the situation, working day and night, weekends included, to not only quickly bring a contractor on board to conduct the repairs, but to have SH 67 open by 6 p.m. the evening of Friday, Aug. 17,"  the mayor wrote.

The timing was fortunate, because a crowd of more than 63,000 descended on Cripple Creek over the next two days, with nearly everyone utilizing SH 67 for access.  Mayor Brown labeled CDOT staff from Headquarters and Region 2 engineering and maintenance as "incredible.  They went beyond the call of duty to respond, on site, as quickly as physically possible."

Following is the listing of CDOT employees who had roles in addressing and correcting the sinkhole situation on SH 67:

*  Doug Lollar, Region 2 North Program Engineer
*  Dave Watt, Region 2 Resident Engineer
*  Craig Wieden, Region 2 Resident Engineer
*  Adam Padilla, Pueblo Section 4 Maintenance Superintendent
*  Gary Heller, LTC Operations I at Colorado Springs, Section 4 Maintenance
*  Lesley Mace, Region 2 North Program Engineering
*  James Sawaya, Region 2 North Program Engineering
*  Robert 'Buster' Bergles, Region 2 South Program Engineering
*  Jake Allen, TM-II, Section 4 Patrol 36 at Cripple Creek
*  Tim Kirtley, Patrol 36 at Cripple Creek
*  Jeff Ridgeway, Patrol 36 at Cripple Creek
*  Greg Williams, Patrol 36 at Cripple Creek
*  David Novak, Materials & Geotechnical Drill Crew
*  Hans Blailes, Materials & Geotechnical Drill Crew
*  Agustin Moreno, Materials & Geotechnical Drill Crew