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Highway 34 Near Greeley Gets Repairs More Than A Year After Flooding

GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4)- The stretch of Highway 34 near Greeley is finally being repaired more than a year after devastating flooding ripped through Northern Colorado causing major damage.

Last fall's flooding of the South Platte River took out huge chunks along Hwy. 34 two miles east of Greeley.

For a time the trip to school took an extra two hours for some students in Weld County as they tried to find a way around the gaping holes left in the main artery.

"The power of what was happening and the sound was just incredible, I'll never forget it, I can remember it like it just happened yesterday," said Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Chip Hopkinson.

More than a year later CDOT crews are working to make permanent repairs. To rebuild the road crews will have to erect a new bridge and reshape the road.

"U.S. 34 is a real demonstration of our commitment that we are going to find every place that we can to build things together," said Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The project will cost $22 million. While the entire hold cannot be filled in, the plan is to fill a metaphorical one, a hole felt in the community since the floods ripped apart the road.

"It's actually awesome that they're actually going to redo it and I am anxious to see what the finished product is going to be," said Hopkinson.

CDOT will provide additional details about the Hwy. 34 project at a public meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the Platte Valley Fire Protection District Community Room in Kersey.

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