Southwest Colorado ~ The Federal Highway Administration has approved $6.5 million in emergency relief funds to help the Colorado Department of Transportation begin repairs to highways damaged by flooding in southwest Colorado last week.

The funding is an initial portion of CDOT's request for federal assistance, which puts preliminary damage to federal-aid roads at about $65 million. The money will support immediate repairs to U.S. highways 160 and 550 and Colorado Highway 151, which sustained significant structural damage during heavy rainfall from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25.

CDOT said the work is intended to restore roadway capacity before winter. Gov. Jared Polis said crews were already working to reopen damaged roads and that the funding would allow them to begin clearing debris and repaving.

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"Coloradans, businesses, and emergency responders rely on these roads to get where they need to go and move goods across the state," Polis said.

CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said the funding would help crews rebuild routes and restore safe, normal traffic patterns while weather conditions allow. She noted that winter can make work more difficult for both travelers and highway maintenance crews in mountainous areas.

Transportation Commissioner Barbara McLachlan said the federal funds would supplement $5 million in contingency funding approved by the Transportation Commission. She said CDOT had submitted its emergency relief request only days earlier.

The Federal Highway Administration is working with CDOT on repairs and reconstruction, according to the release.

The $65 million damage estimate is preliminary. High water has prevented complete inspections of bridges and other structures, and CDOT expects to provide a more comprehensive estimate in eight to 10 weeks. The department said it plans to seek additional funding as assessments continue.

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