The Colorado Department of Transportation recently began releasing episodes from a new video series called “The Road to Resiliency” that documents the agency’s infrastructure response and recovery efforts in the wake of major flooding nine years ago.

[Above photo by the Colorado DOT]

The first video highlights how almost one week worth of non-stop rain in September 2013 caused flooding that shut down more than 400 miles of roads and 200 bridges, forced the evacuation of 19,000 peopled, and stranded 3,000 people who ultimately had to be rescued.

In 2022, Colorado DOT finished the final permanent repair project resulting from that flooding – capping a nine-year, $700 million recovery program.

The second video focuses on the goal established by then-Governor John Hickenlooper (D) to reopen all the flood-closed roads within two months.

Widespread flooding, particularly across northern Colorado, triggered rockslides, landslides, mudslides, and washouts that, in some cases, completely destroyed residences, roadways, and local access bridges.

Flooding was so severe that it fully re-routed creeks and rivers by more than 500 feet in some locations, Colorado DOT said.