Ngalo Septhemba, cishe isonto ngemuva kokuba izimvula ezinkulu zihlasele umbuso, izinkulungwane zabantu baseColorado zaphoqeleka ukuba ziphume emakhaya azo. Izikhukhula kanye nokudilika kodaka okwalandela kwabulala abantu abayi-10. UBarnhardt ukhumbula ebona izimoto nezindlu zomakhelwane zidlula njengezinto zokudlala zezingane eduze kwekhaya lakhe eduze kwaseSt. Vrain Creek.
Manje, cishe eminyakeni eyisishiyagalolunye kamuva, umhosha oseceleni kwakhe usuphinde walulama ngokugcwele. Indawo yaseColorado Highway 7 eyakhukhuleka isigcwalisiwe. Ososayensi bakhe uhlelo olusha lwezindawo ezimanzi oluklanyelwe ukumelana nezikhukhula zesikhathi esizayo.
Izakhamuzi ezifana neBarnhardt zikhululekile ngokuthi ikhoni yesakhiwo isinyamalele ekugcineni.
“Asisabadingi abaphelezeli ukuze sifike futhi sibuye ekhaya,” esho emomotheka. “Futhi empeleni singaphuma endleleni yethu yokungena.”
Izakhamuzi kanye nezikhulu ezivela eMnyangweni Wezokuthutha waseColorado bahlangane ngoLwesine ukuzogubha ukuvulwa kabusha koMgwaqo Omkhulu 7 phakathi kweLyon ne-Estes Park ngaphambi kwempelasonto yeSikhumbuzo.
Ekhuluma nababekhona, umqondisi wesifunda se-CDOT uHeather Paddock uthe ukulungiswa komgwaqo omkhulu kungokugcina kwemisebenzi engaphezu kuka-200 ehlukene umbuso oyenzile kusukela kwaba nezikhukhula.
“Ngokuphathelene nendlela izifundazwe ezishesha ngayo ukululama ezinhlekeleleni ezinjengalezi, ukwakha kabusha lokho okonakaliswe iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye kubaluleke kakhulu, mhlawumbe ngisho nomlando,” kusho yena.
Amadolobha nezifunda ezingaphezu kuka-30 kusukela eLyon kuya eMpumalanga Ekude kuya eSterling abike izikhukhula ezinkulu ngesikhathi somcimbi. I-CDOT ilinganisela ukuthi isebenzise imali engaphezu kuka-$750 million ekulungisweni kwemigwaqo kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Ohulumeni basekhaya basebenzise izigidi zamaRandi.
Ngemva nje kwesikhukhula, amaqembu agxile ekulungiseni imigwaqo eyonakele okwesikhashana njengoMgwaqo Omkhulu 7. Lezi zindawo zisiza imigwaqo ukuthi ivuleke kabusha, kodwa ziyenza ibe sengozini yesimo sezulu esibi.
I-St. Vrain Canyon iyindawo yokugcina ohlwini lokugcinwa kwezindawo oluhlala njalo lwe-CDOT ngoba ingenye yezindawo ezilawulwa kancane kakhulu nguhulumeni ku-Front Range. Ixhumanisa i-Lyon ne-Estes Park kanye nemiphakathi eminingana emincane yezintaba njenge-Ellens Park kanye ne-Ward. Cishe izimoto ezingu-3,000 zidlula kulo mhubhe nsuku zonke.
“Umphakathi lapha uzozuza kakhulu kulokhu kuvulwa kabusha,” kusho uPaddock. “Futhi kuyindlela enkulu yokuzilibazisa. Ihamba ngebhayisikili kakhulu futhi abadobi abaningi beza lapha ukuzosebenzisa umfula.”
Ukulungiswa okuhlala njalo kweHighway 7 kwaqala ngoSepthemba, lapho i-CDOT iwuvala umphakathi. Ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalombili kusukela lapho, abasebenzi bagxile emzileni ongamamayela ayi-6 owawuwonakele kakhulu yizikhukhula.
Izisebenzi ziphinde zalungisa i-asphalt eyayibekwe emgwaqweni ngesikhathi sokulungiswa okuphuthumayo, zanezela izinsimbi zokuvikela ezintsha emahlombe futhi zamba imisele emisha yokuwa kwamatshe, phakathi kwezinye izinto ezithuthukisiwe. Izimpawu ezisele zomonakalo wezikhukhula amamaki amanzi ezindongeni zomhosha.
Kwezinye izindawo, abashayeli bangase babone nezinqwaba zezihlahla ezisikiwe eduze komgwaqo. Umphathi oyinhloko wonjiniyela wezakhiwo we-CDOT kule phrojekthi, uJames Zufall, uthe abasebenzi bokwakha kungadingeka basebenzise ukuvala umzila owodwa kuleli hlobo ngaphambi kokuqeda umgwaqo, kodwa uzohlala uvuliwe unomphela.
“Kungumhosha omuhle, futhi ngiyajabula ukuthi abantu bayabuya lapha,” kusho uZufar. “Leli ligugu elifihliwe eBoulder County.”
Ithimba lososayensi lisebenze namaqembu okwakha ukuze bavuselele amakhilomitha angaphezu kwamabili eSt. Vrain Creek. Usebe lomfula lwashintsha kakhulu ngesikhathi sezikhukhula, izinhlanzi zaphela, kwalandela ukuphepha kwezakhamuzi.
Amaqembu okulungisa azoletha amatshe amakhulu kanye nokungcola okugejwe ngamanzi ezikhukhula bese evuselela izingxenye ezonakele kakhulu kancane kancane. Umkhiqizo oqediwe wenzelwe ukubukeka njengombhede womfula wemvelo ngenkathi uqondisa amanzi ezikhukhula esikhathi esizayo kude nomgwaqo omusha, kusho uCorey Engen, umongameli wenkampani yokwakha umfula iFlywater, ephethe umsebenzi.
“Uma kungenziwa lutho ngalo mfula, sibeka amandla amaningi emgwaqweni futhi sibeka engcupheni umonakalo omkhulu,” kusho u-Engen.
Iphrojekthi yokuvuselela umfula ibize cishe amaRandi ayizigidi ezimbili. Ukuze bakhe iphrojekthi, onjiniyela bathembele edwaleni nasedakeni elivele lisesigodini ngemva kwesikhukhula, kusho unjiniyela wokuvuselela i-Stillwater Sciences uRae Brownsberger, oweluleka ngalo msebenzi.
“Akukho lutho olungenisiwe,” kusho yena. “Ngicabanga ukuthi kuyanezela enzuzweni iyonke yokuthuthukiswa kwemvelo.”
Ezinyangeni zamuva nje, ithimba libhale phansi ukubuya kwezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezinsundu emfuleni. Izimvu ze-Bighorn nezinye izilwane zasendaweni nazo zibuyile.
Kukhona nezinhlelo zokutshala izihlahla ezingaphezu kwekhulu eceleni komfula kuleli hlobo, okuzosiza ekwakheni inhlabathi engaphezulu yendawo.
Nakuba izimoto sezivunyelwe ukubuyela ku-Highway 7 kule nyanga, abagibeli bamabhayisikili kuzodingeka balinde kuze kube yikwindla ukuze bangene emgwaqweni ngenxa yemisebenzi yokwakha eqhubekayo.
Isakhamuzi saseBoulder uSue Prant waqhuba ibhayisikili lakhe eliyitshe eholidini nabangani bakhe abambalwa ukuze alizame.
Lo mgwaqo omkhulu uyingxenye ebalulekile yemizila yesifunda yokugibela amabhayisikili esetshenziswa ngabagibeli bamabhayisikili. UPlant kanye namanye amalungu omphakathi wokugibela amabhayisikili bakhuthaze ukuthi kube namahlombe abanzi ukuze kube yingxenye yokwakhiwa kabusha, kusho yena.
“Angiqiniseki ukuthi liphakeme kangakanani ngoba sekuyisikhathi eside kangaka,” kusho yena. “Lingamamayela ayi-6 futhi konke kukhuphukela phezulu.”
Izakhamuzi eziningi ezazikhona zithi ngokuvamile zanelisekile ngendlela umgwaqo obukeka ngayo ekugcineni, yize kuthathe iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye ukuthi uvuselelwe unomphela. Kunabantu abangaphansi kuka-20 endaweni engamakhilomitha ayi-6 abathintekile ukuvalwa kweSt. Fran Canyon kwamuva nje kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili, kusho i-CDOT.
UBarnhart uthe uhlela ukuchitha impilo yakhe yonke endlini ayithenga eminyakeni engama-40 eyedlule, uma imvelo ivuma.
“Ngikulungele ukuqeda izinto,” kusho yena. “Yingakho ngithuthele lapha kwasekuqaleni.”
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