CDOT begins summer flood protocol in Ute Pass

The Colorado Department of Investigation hopes for a second straight summer of no weather-related closures on U.S. 24 through Ute Pass in El Paso County.

CDOT did not have to close the highway because of flash flood warnings, as was the case several times after the June 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, the heavy rains in the fall of 2013, and again in 2014.

Closing the highway means long waits and even longer detours for drivers, but CDOT said it’s the best way to save lives and prevent injury and vehicle damage during a flash flood.

“We have some detour routes that are established if we do have a major event,” said Dave Watt, a CDOR engineer. “Those will go into place. But we’ll try to let people know, as quick as we know, what the nature and the determination of the closure is going to be.”

However, CDOT says it will not close the highway unless absolutely necessary.

“When flooding in Ute Pass became a problem in 2013, we would preemptively close the highway for safety reasons whenever there was a threat of rain in the area,” said Ken Quintana, a CDOT maintenance foreman.

“But that was creating a hardship for residents and businesses alike,” he said. “So last year, we implemented a new protocol.”

CDOT said when the National Weather Service forecasts a Flash Flood Warning, or when rainfall and ground saturation conditions warrant (one inch or more of cumulative rain during a five-day period), maintenance crews will monitor the highway at Cave of the Winds Road, in Cascade and in the Green Mountain Falls area.

If a storm does hit the area, CDOT said it will have plow trucks continuously traveling the corridor to ensure water or debris flow is remaining off the roadway.

CDOT said if flooding or debris begin to threaten or impact U.S. 24, it will immediately be closed to all traffic.

Crews then will sweep the corridor to ensure there are no individuals or vehicles remaining in the closure area, assess the highway’s condition and decide whether to reopen it, CDOT said.

CDOT plans to have four employees and four pieces of heavy equipment ready to clear debris from the highway if needed.

The protocol began May 1 and continues through Sept. 30.