The Road Home

The Colorado Department of Transportation put any skeptics in their place early this December. All 27 of the roads closed by September’s floods were reopened—as promised. And though open once again, CDOT is now left with the daunting decision of how to make permanent repairs. The cheaper route would leave roads more vulnerable, but the other (more favorable) option is to build them durable enough to withstand another high-caliber storm.

The last of the roads to be back in business is Colorado Highway 7. Meandering its way up to Allenspark through Lyons, the highway connects two of Boulder County’s most historic towns with a route that itself is wrought in history.
The highway’s unofficial beginnings go back to 1907, when Oscar Stanley put up $8,250 (a hefty sum back then) in order to build a passable road between Lyons and Estes Park—two of his favorite towns. At the time, the area’s health resorts were a major draw for Denver-ites and their new automobiles, so having a route up to vacation areas was good for tourism. Via this same road, folks craving gold found their way to Allenspark during a resurgence of the rush. So did those traveling from Kansas and Oklahoma who became regular visitors of the area, quickly buying up land and building cabins to return to each summer. The road had all of this history first, before finally being established in 1920 as Highway 7. The ever-evolving route—despite all of the re-namings and gruesome weather it’s seen—continues to make some of Boulder County’s best-kept secrets available for all to enjoy

For more updates on permanent road repairs from the flood, visit coloradodot.info/travel/colorado-flood-highway