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Monsoon Rains Caused Plenty Of Damage To High Country Roads

DENVER (CBS4) - As the monsoons flooded streets in Denver last month, it turns out they caused plenty of problems for roads in the high country as well.

The rains washed out some roads and now crews have to wait for them to dry out to do repairs.

"We call it a 'slip.' It's when the slope kind of slips and starts to drop. This is what's going on, on (Highway) 125," Stacey Stegman with the Colorado Department of Transportation said.

Because of the wet spring, many mountain roads have been washed out, including Highway 125 near mile marker 24 in Jackson County. The drop-off along the two-lane highway is significant -- about 20 feet -- but only half a dozen cones are set up around the curve. Some of the cones have been knocked over or blown over the side. The white line at the edge of the road is practically gone.

Stegman says that CDOT is aware of the situation.

"(Highway) 125 is an area where we've had this problem happening for a little bit at a time. It just got worse with the extremely wet weather we've had," she said. "In about a month we're going to go in and be able to go in and fix this area because we've had some time for it to dry out."

A recent press release from the U.S. Forest Service explained the status of such road closures.

"Due to the extent of the problems and lack of available funds, some roads will remain closed until repairs can be implemented. The district is actively seeking funding for road repairs," the release said.

Crews are now working to repair the Medano Pass Primitive Road after a thunderstorm rolled through Great Sand Dunes National Park last week.

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