CDOT and Colorado State Patrol are asking drivers to follow lowered speed limits on Interstate 70 after a series of crashes caused extended closures on the highway. CDOT noted that speeding in hazardous conditions has contributed or caused all of the crash closures in the canyon so far in 2023. CDOT and State Patrol met with elected officials to create a viable plan to mitigate this growing issue. The state is also exploring possible legislation that would impose restrictions on trucks using the left lane on difficult segments of I-70.
Paonia is losing approximately 10 gallons a water per minute due to a critical water leak under nearby railroad tracks, reports the Delta County Independent. Paonia’s Interim Administrator Leslie Klusmire estimates the leak is around 10 percent of the town’s daily water. Town officials are working with engineers to fix the leak, but the project will have to be done in-house since the town does not have funds to hire a contractor.
Mesa County Valley School District may close three of its schools next year due to declining enrollment, reports the Daily Sentinel. Possible closures or consolidations include Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary, Orchard Avenue Elementary and East Middle School. District 51’s enrollment has dropped by almost 13 hundred students over the past four years.
