DENVER – Governor Polis announced Tuesday that the 8.5 million-pound boulder that fell onto Highway 145 last month will stay where it is and the road will be rebuilt around it.
The boulder was the larger of two boulders that fell about 2,000 feet onto the roadway late last month. The larger boulder cut an eight-foot-deep trench across the highway. CDOT blasted the smaller boulder, which was estimated at around 2.3 million pounds.
According to News partner KMGH in Denver, the larger boulder will be called “Memorial Rock.” Governor Polis said the massive rock will stay in place so the “geological masterpiece” can be permanently preserved.
The governor said that leaving the boulder where it lies will save taxpayers approximately $200,000 in blasting and removal costs, according to KMGH.
Polis said his team is working on federal paperwork for the official designation of the rock. He said the name was chosen because the rockslide happened over Memorial Day Weekend and it would be a way to remember those who served our country.
According to KMGH, the governor said the road repairs would cost approximately $1.3 million but he expects the state will get some of the money back through a federal reimbursement.
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