A gigantic rockfall on Colorado Highway 119 has closed Boulder Canyon for at least two or three days for clean up.
Jared Fiel with the Colorado Department of Transportation said the massive rockfall happened during a flood construction project. A blast brought down about 20 times more rock than expected.
One blast usually only brings down about 400 cubic yards of rock. A cubic yard is about the size of a washing machine.
“So imagine 8,000 washing machines coming down the canyon,” he said. “It’s pretty extensive and some of those washing machines are too big to take away so we have to blast those also and break them into smaller pieces.”
Fiel said another area of rock was also loosened in the blast, which will also need to be blasted and cleared for safety.
Drivers should avoid Boulder Canyon and can use Colorado Highways 7, 72 or 93 and U.S. 36 or 6.
