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Colorado transportation officials may soon know the extent of damage to Colorado bridges that flood waters ravaged this past week.
The Colorado Department of Transportation already reported 30 destroyed bridges and another 20 that were seriously damaged, according to the Denver Post. Getting the damaged bridges into working shape is among the top priorities for state officials so emergency services can access flooded-out areas.
While CDOT assesses bridges, other Colorado agencies and communities have been busy evaluating damages to infrastructure. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management reported this week that flooding had destroyed or damaged nearly 19,000 homes. In Boulder County alone, damages to bridges, minor structures, and roads is estimated at between $100 million to $150 million.
Not all the news is bad, though. The first 24-hour period without rain since last Wednesday, September 11, allowed emergency crews to evacuate hundreds of people who had been isolated in communities throughout the state and floodwaters slowly began to recede in some areas. The Boulder County School District will reopen most of its schools today and the district plans to offer shuttle buses for some teachers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to work.
—Image courtesy of Shutterstock