CO 72 Coal Creek Canyon
About the Project
CDOT and contractor M.A. Mortenson have completed a federally-funded permanent flood repair project along a 12-mile section of CO 72 that sustained heavy damage during the floods of 2013.
Crews replaced five culverts, widened a section of CO 72 from Plainview Road to Crescent Park, and made significant drainage and erosion control improvements in the canyon.
Project Facts
- Cost: $9.55 million (construction)
- Contractor: M.A. Mortenson
- Timeline: Spring 2019 to Fall 2020
- Location: Along 12 miles of CO 72 between Plainview Road (mile point 12.3) and Pinecliffe (MP 24.6) in Coal Creek Canyon
Schedule and Traffic Impacts
- No restrictions or traffic impacts are in place. The project is complete.
Highway Reopening Update
State Highway (SH) 72, Coal Creek Canyon, between SH 93 and SH 119 reopened to all through traffic on Monday, November 11. In the coming months, crews will be exploring options for permanent repairs to the highway and more updates will be forthcoming.
Keeping Updated
To receive updates about the permanent road repairs, please click on the "Sign Up for Project Updates" icon on the right hand side of this page. From there, you can sign up for email updates for SH 72 under "Flooding." If you have questions or concerns, please send us an email at [email protected] or leave a message on the project hotline at 720-541-9985 and we will respond within 24 hours.
General Project Information
This section of CO 72 provides access from the west side of the Denver metro area through Coal Creek Canyon to Nederland. A 12-mile stretch of this mountainous highway sustained major damage from the floods of 2013. While emergency work repaired damages to make the roadway passable, permanent drainage and roadway improvements included in this project will help mitigate future flood damage. Specific work includes:
- Replacing culverts to accommodate large storm events
- Stabilizing slopes and restoring channels
- Adding a 4-foot shoulder along westbound CO 72 from Plainview Road to Crescent Park, and
- Re-establishing native grasses and erosion control to slopes that were disturbed during emergency work.
Public Outreach
Public Outreach Meeting Materials
On July 31, 2018, the project team held a meeting to discuss feedback, questions, and concerns about the project's scope and potential travel impacts. To get meeting materials, please fill out a records request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both projects are necessary to complete permanent repairs to canyon corridors impacted by September 2013 flooding. A major source of funding for transportation-related flood recovery work is the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emergency Relief Program. CDOT advertised both projects for construction this season to fulfill funding timeline obligations. Federal guidelines would not allow deferral of either project to a later start date.
Learn more about CDOT's flood recovery effort and funding.
The CO 119 and CO 72 project teams will communicate their respective weekly construction traffic-control schedules to provide advanced notification about possible traffic volume increases. Full closures are not currently anticipated on CO 72. However, CO 72 will have multiple work zones in a single-lane configuration with alternating traffic controlled by automated signals. CO 72 traffic is also subject to flagger control at additional locations. Expect up to 20-minute delays on CO 72.
Sections of CO 119 in Boulder Canyon will be closed intermittently for rock scaling and blasting.
Learn more about the project, and to sign up for closure notifications.
All planned lane and road closures on state highways are posted in advance on COtrip.
Safety is a top priority. Bicyclists will not be allowed to travel through the work zone due to limited road width under the single-lane configuration, and to prevent traveling against the flow of traffic controlled by the temporary traffic signals. Uneven or gravel road surfaces may exist.
Learn more about the CO 72 Coal Creek Canyon project.
