Underground Natural Spring Hit By Contractor, Floods Highway
GILPIN COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - One lane of State Highway 119 remains closed Monday after a contractor struck an underground spring Sunday morning, sending water across both lanes of the roadway and forcing a day-long full closure.
The closure meant a lengthy detour for those traveling north of the gambling towns of Central City and Black Hawk.
The flooding on Highway 119 at milepost 17 has worsened since this photo was taken. Highway 119 is now closed both directions from this location to Hwy. 72. Detour is S. Beaver Creek Road to Hwy. 72. pic.twitter.com/kq43oFJsso
— CSP Gaming (@CSP_Gaming) May 3, 2020
A flagger is helping Monday to alternate traffic past the scene while crews work to drain water away in order to begin repairs, according to a spokesperson with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
CDOT's Presley Fowler said a contractor was installing natural gas pipelines and hit the natural spring. The project is not CDOT's but was approved by CDOT, Fowler said.
CDOT crews are now working with the contractor's crews to make repairs.
There is no estimated time of completion for those repairs.