Flood Recovery Work Mitigates Mountainous Terrain

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County has been rebuilding critical infrastructure over the last several years in response to historic rainfall. Since 2017, Benesch has managed the construction of seven flood recovery projects including three roadway reconstruction projects, three stream restorations and one bridge replacement—each presenting unique construction challenges.

On Gold Run Road, the tight and mountainous corridor severely limited the use of heavy equipment, where construction work occurred in close proximity to historic homes and buildings. Extensive public involvement efforts and a nimble technical team with the ability to redesign structural elements during construction were key to the project’s success.

With construction complete and the roadway reopened, the Gold Run Road Reconstruction Project has been named 2019’s best highway/bridge project by Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mountain States.

The 2019 Best Projects competition spans a seven-state region (Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota). A panel of 12 judges from all areas of the industry—architects, consultants, and engineers—selected winners from 156 total entries.

The Gold Run Road project is covered in more detail in the October issue of ENR Mountain States. Read more about the project here.