Denver has been patiently waiting to see the fruits of the recent I-70 construction project, and many were disappointed on the evening of August 7th when the partially finished project flooded leaving many stranded and needing rescue from Denver Fire. The internet response was swift and damning on everyone involved in the project, but the question is whether the ire was warranted or if this is just a small blip in what could be a great addition to the Denver infrastructure. 

So how much rain did Denver receive on the 7th? According to the National Weather Service, Denver received 1.42 inches of rain on that day. Denver Fire Department responded to 11 calls for rescues along the I-70 corridor between the hours of 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM.  Obviously, other parts of Denver also felt the effects of this storm, but closing a major interstate is a problem – should we just expect to avoid this area during large rain events? According to Kiewit, the project contractor, the issue arose when one of the pumps failed to activate automatically as part of the temporary drainage plan.  Statements issued by Kiewit stated that construction could have contributed to the failure, because of sediment transported from the construction sites to the drainage inlets. 

There seems to be a few factors that contributed to the flooding problem, and it’s clear this issue is at the forefront for the construction team. Kiewit has committed to being able to withstand a 10-year rain event during the intermediate stages of construction. The final product will be designed to handle a 100-year rain event, leaving a sense of optimism for the future of the I-70 corridor.