Colorado won't blow up massive boulder that destroyed highway. Here's why. [View all]

Move over Castle Rock, there’s a new “geographical masterpiece” for Colorado commuters and tourists to marvel.

Meet Memorial Rock.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday that his administration has opted not to destroy an 8.5 million pound boulder that destroyed a portion of Highway 145 between Cortez and Telluride during Memorial Day weekend. Instead, the state will shift the course of the highway and make the rock — which is the size of a house — a new landmark.

“We expect that for generations to come, people will have the opportunity to observe this geological masterpiece that we’re calling Memorial Rock,” Polis said at a morning news conference, adding the decision will save taxpayers about $200,000.

Total cost for repairs are expected to run about $1.3 million, which some will come from federal emergency dollars, Polis said.

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/06/04/colorado-rockslide-highway-145-memorial-rock/


Colorado Department of Transportation
A rock slide on Colorado 145 between Cortez and Telluride closed the highway on Friday.