Mt. Garfield Culvert Study

About the Project

CDOT recognized the need to address the condition of the existing box culvert located where 35 8/10 Road intersects with I-70 in Mesa County near Palisade.

The existing box culvert was constructed in 1962 to access the Gearhart coal mine located north of I-70. Recently, it has been used by property owners north of I-70 and Mt. Garfield Trailhead users. However, the box culvert has been identified as a critical culvert in poor condition and has been recommended for replacement. Due to several factors, if left unmitigated, the existing box culvert could fail structurally, leading to severe damage to I-70 and compromising the safety of the traveling public.

This study developed potential alternatives to address the condition of the box culvert while maintaining access, evaluated these alternatives, and identified a preferred alternative. Public outreach and discussions with project stakeholders were a large portion of the evaluation process, and feedback from the community assisted the project team in determining which alternative should be implemented.

Ultimately, the preferred alternative that met the purpose and need of the project and had the most support from project stakeholders was to replace the existing box culvert with a new single lane box culvert.