After historic floods largely isolated a southwestern Colorado town, crews race to reopen critical highways

DENVER — Colorado Department of Transportation crews are working to reopen at least one southern Colorado highway this weekend after historic, back-to-back floods this fall caused extensive damage and left some communities largely cut off from the rest of the state. Pagosa Springs remains all but completely isolated after floodwaters washed away surrounding roadways and took out a bridge, with the only way into town requiring a hourslong detour south through New Mexico. kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@EC:A]@C8^n=2J6CDlEC277:40:?4:56?EDTarC@2504@?5:E:@?DTar492:?TauEC24E:@?0=2HTarA=@H0EC24<6CTarH62E96C02=6CEDTarH62E96C0C252CTar42>6C2DU2>Aj=2Elbf]`hchU2>Aj=?8l\`_f]e_hgU2>AjK@@>l``]ccQm&]$] `e_ H6DE @7 !28@D2 $AC:?8D E@ q2J7:6=5k^2m H:== =:<6=J 36 4=@D65 F?E:= y2?F2CJ[ rs~% @77:4:2=D D2:5 %F6D52J] rC6HD 2C6 H@C<:?8 2C@F?5 E96 4=@4< 27E6C 7=@@5:?8 7C@> E96 !:65C2 #:G6C 56DEC@J65 2 3C:586 A:6C 2?5 42FD65 2 D64E:@? E@ 4@==2AD6 :? E96 62C=J 9@FCD @7 }@G] `] %96 3C:586 :D 2 =:EE=6 =6DD E92? 92=7H2J 36EH66? !28@D2 $AC:?8D 2?5 sFC2?8@ 2?5 23@FE a__ >:=6D D@FE9H6DE @7 >6EC@ s6?G6C]k^Am kAmrs~% @77:4:2=D 96=5 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 @? %F6D52J E@ 8:G6 FA52E6D @? 6IE6?565 9:89H2J 4=@DFC6D :? D@FE9H6DE6C? r@=@C25@[ H9:49 DE2CE65 27E6C 324<\E@\324< DE@C>D 42FD65 7=@@5:?8 E9C@F89@FE E96 u@FC r@C?6CD C68:@? :? =2E6 ~4E@36C 2?5 62C=J }@G6>36C[ 52>28:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 D9FEE:?8 5@H? >2;@C C@25H2JD] %96 52>286 36EH66? E96 EH@ 7=@@5D :D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 >@C6 E92? S`__ >:==:@?]k^Am kAmp E6>A@C2CJ 3C:586 7@C &]$] `e_ @G6C E96 !:65C2 #:G6C :D 36:?8 D9:AA65 E@ E96 2C62 :? A:646D 2?5 H:== E2<6 4@?DECF4E:@? 4C6HD b_ 52JD E@ 2DD6>3=6 :7 E96J H@C< ?@?\DE@A[ D2:5 yF=:6 r@?DE2?[ rs~%’D D@FE9H6DE r@=@C25@ EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 5:C64E@C] p ?6H[ A6C>2?6?E 3C:586 @G6C E96 C:G6C H:== =:<6=J 36 7:?:D965 3J E96 6?5 @7 a_af]k^Am kAm$E2E6 4C6HD 2C6 H@C<:?8 E@ A2CE:2==J C6@A6? &]$] `e_ @G6C (@=7 rC66< !2DD E9:D H66<6?5[ H9:49 4@??64ED !28@D2 $AC:?8D E@ $@FE9 u@C<[ 2D H@C<6CD 5:8 @FE 7:6=5D @7 >F5[ C@4D 2C6 2=D@ H@C<:?8 ?@?DE@A E@ C6@A6? r@=@C25@ `d` D@FE9 @7 r9:>?6J #@4< }2E:@?2= |@?F>6?E[ H9:49 4@??64ED !28@D2 $AC:?8D E@ pC3@=6D[ x8?24:@[ E96 $@FE96C? &E6 #6D6CG2E:@? 2?5 sFC2?8@]k^Am kAmu=@@5:?8 962G:=J 52>2865 7@FC D64E:@?D @7 2 b\>:=6 DEC6E49 @7 E96 9:89H2J[ r@?DE2? D2:5] $E2E6 =6256CD 2C6 H@C<:?8 E@ 86E E96 C@25 A2CE:2==J C6@A6?65 3J %92?D :? =2E6 ~4E@36C 5C@AA65 f :?496D @7 C2:? @? D@FE9H6DE6C? r@=@C25@ :? E9C66 52JD[ >@DE=J @? !28@D2 $AC:?8D 2?5 pC49F=6E2 r@F?EJ[ r@?DE2? D2:5] (96? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 DE@C>D DE2CE65 ?:?6 52JD =2E6C[ E96 D2EFC2E65 8C@F?5 2?5 @G6C7=@H:?8 C:G6CD 4@F=5 ?@E 23D@C3 2?J >@C6 >@:DEFC6[ 2=D@ 92>>6C:?8 sFC2?8@ 2?5 {2 !=2E2 r@F?EJ]k^Am kAmr@?DE2? D2:5 :E H2D 3@E9 2H6\:?DA:C:?8 2?5 962CE3C62<:?8 E@ D66 E96 A@H6C 2?5 56G2DE2E:@? @7 E96 7=@@5D] $96 C6>6>36CD D66:?8 @=5 A9@E@8C2A9D @7 2 7=@@5 E92E 9:E !28@D2 $AC:?8D :? `h``]k^Am kAm“x ?6G6C E9@F89E x’5 D66 :E >JD6=7 :? >J =:76E:>6[ 3FE H6 5:5[” D96 D2:5]k^Am kAmrs~% 92D 6?@F89 >@?6J E@ 7:?:D9 E96 E6>A@C2CJ C6A2:CD 2?5 :D H@C<:?8 H:E9 7656C2= 286?4:6D E@ 86E 6>6C86?4J C6=:67 7F?5:?8[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C $9@D92?2 {6H D2:5]k^Am kAm$E2E6 @77:4:2=D 6DE:>2E65 E96 7:CDE 7=@@5 42FD65 Sed >:==:@? :? 52>286 2?5 92G6 ?@E 7:?:D965 52>286 2DD6DD>6?ED 7C@> E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 7=@@5:?8[ E9@F89 :E H:== =:<6=J 36 :? E96 ?6:893@C9@@5 @7 S`__ >:==:@?[ {6H D2:5]k^Am kAm00000k^Am