Massive Boulders Crash Onto Southwestern Colorado Highway
RICO, Colo. (CBS4) - The Colorado Department of Transportation says Highway 145 in Rico will be closed until further notice after large boulders came crashing down Friday night. The slide is between Cortez and Telluride.
Crews say the debris left a trench about eight feet deep across both lanes making the road dangerous to drivers.
No one was hurt.
Officials say one boulder weighs 2.3 million lbs. and another weighs 8.5 million lbs.
"A boulder, the size of a building, which remains embedded on the highway needs to be blasted into smaller pieces in order to move it off the roadway," CDOT said.
From @coloradodot: Hwy 145 is closed INDEFINITELY from Dolores (mm 15) to Rico (mm 45) due to a major rock slide that occurred Friday afternoon near mm 22 (12 miles north of Dolores). Rock mitigation work began today. (1 of 3)
— San Miguel Sheriff (@SheriffAlert) May 25, 2019
Crews are working on clearing the road. The San Miguel Sheriff's Office say Highway 145 is closed indefinitely.
Officials say drivers will have to take a detour on Dove Creek, Slick Rock and Norwood which is expected to take more than four hours of driving time.