The Colorado Department of Transportation on Monday announced crews removed about 5,252 tons of debris from Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon over the weekend, although a date for reopening the state’s major east-west highway still is days or even weeks away.

Good weather – meaning no rain that would trigger more mudslides – allowed crews to make progress, a news release from CDOT said.

With much of the debris now removed, department engineers are assessing the damage and what it will take to repair the highway and other structures damaged by the mudslides, the worst which hit the canyon around 9 p.m. on July 29.

That cost, according to a request from Gov. Jared Polis, is estimated at $116 million. Polis sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Federal Highway Adminstration Acting Administrator Stephanie Pollack, seeking the first 10%, about $11.6 million, through an expedited process. The funds would come from the administration’s Emergency Relief program.

“The ongoing closure of I-70 continues to strain people and communities throughout the region and western Colorado, and also has significant implications for interstate travel and commerce,” read the letter, signed by Polis and CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “The corridor is vital for everything from long-haul freight to movement of agricultural products across the state to the ecotourism economy. I-70 provides critical connectivity for communities in Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties and serves as the state’s main east-west thoroughfare for people and commerce.

“While Coloradans understand the magnitude of destruction, the disruption to people’s lives and livelihoods grows as the interstate remains closed. Federal support, including quick release of funds, will greatly assist our efforts to restore functionality to the interstate and allow people to have the connectivity they rely on.”

The request isn’t just for I-70 restoration; the state wants $10 million to study alternative detour routes, such as improvements to Cottonwood Pass Road in Eagle County, a county road that is unpaved but has been used as one of several detours around the closure. Paving Cottonwood Pass Road could cost $50 million, the letter indicated. 

Joining in support for the federal funding: a letter sent to Buttigieg and Pollack from Colorado’s congressional delegation on Saturday. Led by Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Democrats, the letter urged quick consideration of Colorado’s request for emergency funds to repair the highway. 

The letter was signed by all nine members of Colorado’s congressional delegation.

“Resources from FHWA’s Emergency Relief Program are necessary to adequately respond to this ongoing and severe crisis,” the letter said.

But they also warned that Glenwood Canyon isn’t the only route facing challenges, and that more will be needed to address mitigation that could prevent more catastrophic failures.

“Other key transportation corridors in Colorado remain vulnerable to natural disasters,” the letter said. “Last year, Colorado experienced three of the worst wildfires in our state’s history. Barren acres of burn scars and damaged watersheds endure as testimonies of their destruction. Going forward, we are committed to working with your Department on investing in our infrastructure to make it more resilient to wildfires and floods. By implementing the necessary mitigation measures, we can better protect Colorado communities against catastrophic natural disasters.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt, whose district includes Glenwood Canyon, said in a statement Friday that she is actively working to reopen the interstate, but as of Monday had not yet visited the damaged highway. Her office said she is working closely with CDOT and the governor’s office on a visit this week.