Drivers make their way around a flooded lane and mud Wednesday in the Wilson Gulch roundabout in Grandview. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride
Heavy and consistent September rains brought flooding to the Grandview Interchange, and it wasn’t the first time.
The north roundabout – the Wilson Gulch roundabout – saw flooding throughout the past two weeks of rain, and Colorado Department of Transportation helped clean up the area at least once in that time frame, according to CDOT officials.
Dusty Ledford, CDOT’s Durango area maintenance supervisor, said he wasn’t sure exactly how many times the maintenance crews cleaned up the area.
“It is difficult to pinpoint an exact number because during rainstorms crews are proactive and make frequent passes with their plows through the area,” he said in an email.
CDOT crews used plows, bulldozers and backhoes to clear the highway. The department also used the same tools to scoop away mud and debris from ditches and pond areas, he said.
Flooding at the north roundabout isn’t unheard of. Lisa Schwantes, regional spokeswoman for CDOT, said there were issues in the summer during periods of significant rainfall around July or August.
Mud covers the island and part of the road by the south roundabout on Wednesday on U.S. Highway 550 in the Grandview area. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride
There are no solid plans in place to improve the roundabout and mitigate flooding, but it is being discussed. The city of Durango, CDOT and the Maverick gas station property owner are working together for a solution – “which is tricky because of the permitting and different jurisdictions,” said Kevin Curry, CDOT regional chief engineer. The Maverick gas station sits uphill of the roundabout.
“Communications amongst the entities have occurred in past years, as well as over the past couple of weeks with the onset of the recent substantial rains,” he said in an email.
Fixing the roundabout is no easy ask because of the cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
“Resolving this issue is a challenge since the needed enhancements for improved drainage need to be installed on Wilson Gulch Road and Zyme Rock Road, off of our State right-of-way, and within the city limits,” Curry said.
Erosion from this hillside covers the island and part of the road with mud above the south roundabout Wednesday on U.S. Highway 550 in the Grandview area. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride
The Grandview Interchange wasn’t the only thing on CDOT’s mind in recent weeks with heavy rain, either.
“CDOT crews have been kept busy by Mother Nature and her recent rainstorms,” Schwantes said.
She cited mudslides on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango near Pinkerton Hot Springs, Colorado Highway 151 near Navajo Reservoir and another mudslide on Colorado Highway 145 north of Telluride. She said CDOT crews helped clear fallen rock during and after the heavy rains.
Drivers make their way around a flooded lane and mud Wednesday in the Wilson Gulch roundabout in Grandview. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)Jerry McBride
“We have had small rockfall incidents along the cliffside walls of all our high mountain passes and at lower elevations along steep slopes like the stretch of highway between Twin Buttes and Durango West subdivisions,” she said.