City officials offered the following update regarding the washout in North Cheyenne Cañon Park, with road closures for North Cheyenne Canyon Road and Gold Camp Road continuing indefinitely.
A significant amount of rain and other unknown factors caused the roadway to wash out an entire lane about 1.5 miles up the Cañon from the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center sometime Thursday morning, June 4. In the interest of safety and to allow crews to continue assessing and mitigating the damage, both gates into the park remain closed.
Gold Camp Road remains closed to the public but is accessible to residents who reside in the area. The public closure ensures people who live in the area and use Gold Camp Road to access their residences can do so safely. The closure is also a safety precaution for the public to alleviate congestion on the narrow, steep road since this road now becomes the only way in and out of North Cheyenne Cañon.
More rain is forecasted for Thursday and Friday. The City’s Public Works Department must wait for rain to end before fully assessing the damage and creating a plan to repair the road. The City Engineer needs to certify the road as safe before it can reopen. City crews placed large boulders in the newly created washout channel yesterday and today to prevent further roadway damage.
“Our primary focus remains on keeping people safe,” said Gayle Sturdivant, the City Engineer and Deputy Director of Public Works. “That includes people who want to visit the park, as well as those who reside in it.”
Officials recommend people use one of the many other recreational spaces and trails throughout the city and region, including Ute Valley Park, Pulpit Rock, High Chaparral Open Space, and Sondermann Park, Stratton and Red Rock Canyon Open Spaces. As always, with the amount of rain and muddy trails, users should practice “Leave No Trace” principles. Learn more at coloradosprings.gov/lnt.
Finally, Pikes Peak APEX bike race officials are working closely with City officials to stage the Sunday event in North Cheyenne Cañon, dependent on road safety weather. More details will be available at the APEX rider meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Scheels (1226 Interquest Parkway, Colorado Springs) or via its website. For those who can't attend tonight’s rider meeting, tune into the APEX Instagram channel.