MANITOU SPRINGS – Work to repair damage caused along Manitou Ave. during flooding will get underway on Monday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation will replace the concrete culvert under Manitou Avenue after recent storms damaged the west wall of the structure. The damage is between the curbs and the gutters and it prompted the full closure of Manitou Ave. between Ruxton and Park avenues.
The damage was discovered when a small sinkhole opened along the road on Monday, July 30. That sinkhole revealed major damage to the century-old box culvert that, if not repaired or replaced, could lead to the collapse of the roadway.
It funnels Ruxton Creek underneath Ruxton Avenue and Manitou Avenue, directing the water toward Fountain Creek as it flows through Soda Springs Park.
Pedestrian access remains since the sidewalks through this area were not impacted. The project is expected to cost $1.5 to $2 million.
The old culvert will have to be demolished and removed before being replaced with a 60-foot-long box culvert.
There is no date for re-opening the area but crews estimate the project will wrap up by the end of September.
The closure affects access to Manitou Avenue west of Ruxton Avenue. Drivers coming from the east must detour onto Cañon Avenue and Park Avenue to be able to access areas west of the closure. Drivers coming from the west, including U.S. Highway 24 and Serpentine Drive, must drive around barricades to access businesses east of Park Avenue.
Manitou Springs mayor Ken Jaray points out that no businesses are closed and no parking spaces are unavailable due to the closure, that access to the Manitou Incline is unaffected for drivers coming from downtown Manitou Springs, and that the free shuttle service through town is unaffected by the closure.
