By Shannon Lukens. (Picture of water on Hwy 40 from April 30, 2023)

Work crews with Colorado Department of Transportation have been working on the flooded part of westbound Highway 40 just west of Steamboat Springs, at about Mile Point 129. They cleared the ditch over the weekend and water was draining properly from the roadway. But then the drain filled up again. CDOT reports that crews will clear the drain again this week and see about adding a second drain in the area. But dryer conditions are needed to clear the ditch.

CDOT spokesperson Elise Thatcher tells Steamboat Radio News, “This location on US 40, near Mile Point 129, has been a problem in the past. Maintenance crews usually clean out the nearby ditch to get the water to drain to the northwest. The shale bluff often sloughs off the hill and down into the ditch, which fills up the ditch. This year has had a significant increase in water, with new waterfalls at this location. There are signs in place warning the traveling public of water on the roadway. CDOT will continue monitoring as we get ready for the next round of work to clear the drain(s) nearby.”