Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper released the following statement after the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration awarded the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) $11.6 million to begin repairs to I-70:
“We’re grateful for the Department of Transportation’s swift action to address this urgent threat to Coloradans’ safety and the state’s economy. CDOT has already done tremendous work to repair the damage to Glenwood Canyon, and we appreciate the speedy support of the federal government to rebuild this critical infrastructure. We look forward to working with the state and administration to ensure that Colorado continues to get the support it needs in the months ahead.”
Recent mudslides caused extreme damage to I-70 through Glenwood Canyon. Colorado Governor Jared Polis formally authorized CDOT to request emergency resources from the FHWA Emergency Relief program on Friday. Over the weekend, Bennet and Hickenlooper led the Colorado Congressional Delegation in urging the Biden Administration to quickly approve the request.
FHWA emergency funds can be used to rebuild roads after natural disasters and improve resiliency to harden against future disasters.