The record-breaking rainfall across El Paso County in May flooded basements, eroded parks and closed roads. Falcon Highway, Garrett Road and Jones Road were impacted by flooded streams. Falcon Highway is expected to be re-opened by the beginning of July. Jones Road will remain closed until the end of July.ìOn Falcon Highway, it was closed just east of Peyton Highway,î said Andre Brackin, county engineer. ìEssentially, it was a culvert failure. The embankment was being undermined before the culvert.îJones Road continued eroding until nearly the entire road was washed away, said Dodi Lingg, a resident on nearby Log Road. ìWe saw the culvert pipes go, and saw all the rivets popping,î Lingg said. ìThere was no time for anything as far as quick repairs. There was nothing you could do to stop it.îBoth roads are being upgraded as part of the repair process. ìIt’s a better installation than what was there before,î Brackin said. ìWe’re using concrete pipes and large concrete structural end pieces that flare out to help direct runoff and hold the culvert in place.îThe road closures were inconvenient for the residents of the eastern parts of Falcon, as well as commuters from farther east. The roads near the apparently dry creek beds are a frequent problem for El Paso County public service officials. ìFalcon Highway is a fairly small repair comparatively,î Brackin said. ìIt’s not something out of the ordinary. We do these quite a bit. The Jones Road location washed out the same way about five years ago.îìIt looks like a dry creek, but water’s flowing underneath,î Lingg said. ìIt can create a quicksand that goes under the culvert. When the rain comes, it lifts them right up and the water just moves them. You could watch as the current ate the road.îEl Paso County officials plan to improve how the culverts are anchored into the ground. ìWe’re adding a third culvert rather than the two that were there previously,î Brackin said. ìWe’re also going to anchor with piling about 10 feet down on both sides of the road. That will be a much longer lasting culvert installation.îResidents and commuters hope the new culverts and back-fill soil embankments will mean fewer detours after the next downpour. ìIt has been absolutely amazing,î Lingg said.
