Inflating balloon part of newer technology to repair culverts under US 50 in Cañon City
CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is halfway through a monthlong project to repair two aging culverts under US 50 at the 1st Street intersection.
The culverts connect two sides of an irrigation channel that has a reduced water flow before the growing season, and that makes working on the project easier.
Wayne Pittman, a CDOT engineer, said that crews are replacing the liners in the culverts; each of them is 72 inches in diameter.
He also said that a balloon is a key part of the repairs.
"They inflate the balloon and insert it into the culverts," he explained. "And they run a UV light through it, and it hardens that balloon to then, basically, re-line that culvert. They're going to do another job down in Cañon City that's in design right now, so it'll probably be next season. It's relatively newer technology, to line a culvert without having to pull it out and replace it."
Crews will alternate inserting the balloon with allowing water to flow through each culvert.
The project is designed to reduce the risk of flooding and damage from heavy drainage — that also flows into the channel — during storm events.
CDOT expects to finish the $423,500 project by the end of the month.
Below is the finished product.
Construction hours are weekdays from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.; CDOT said that the project should have only minimal impact on traffic in the area.
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