US 36 from Lyons to Estes Park reopens

One of the main Colorado roads that suffered the most damage from the September floods is back open after National Guard troops and the Colorado Department of Transportation worked around the clock to repair the highway.

Colorado highway crews were joined in recent weeks by Army and Air National Guard troops from Colorado, Montana, Utah and Kansas to repair U.S. Highway 36 between Lyons and Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Amy Ford says construction on the highway was scheduled to be finished Dec. 1, but extra help allowed crews to finish early.

Ford says the work is a temporary fix and crews will do permanent repairs next spring.