A convoy of heavy construction equipment is creeping over a high-elevation highway through Rocky Mountain National Park to join a massive highway rebuilding project after the Colorado floods.
Officials said Wednesday the damage to state highways alone is about $430 million. Eight deaths have been confirmed.
Nearly 1,800 homes were destroyed or damaged — down from earlier estimates of about 2,000.
Trail Ridge Road through the national park is closed to other vehicles to make way for the slow-moving convoy, which will be used on road repairs around Estes Park.
State and local highway crews and construction companies are rushing to make temporary repairs to flood-damaged roadways. About 200 miles of state highways and 50 state bridges were destroyed by floodwaters.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) already has its own crews, as well as paid contractors and more than 600 National Guardsmen out rebuilding the damaged bridges and roads right now.
CDOT said it's still certain every road and highway will be passable by December 1. CDOT said the major trouble spots are in the mountains, where some roadways are 85 percent damaged, including Highway 34.
CDOT is requesting $500 million in federal aid to repair any damaged highway or roadway.
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