CDOT seeks emergency funds for roadside vegetation management after near‑miss closures; $10M maintenance reserve request

Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance staff told STACK on April 2 that a recent grass fire near Thornton closed I‑25 for about an hour and a half and underscored wildfire risk along rights‑of‑way.

Sean Smith, director of maintenance and operations, said an emergency procurement declaration has been approved and staff plan to request $10 million from the maintenance reserve to accelerate roadside vegetation management work this season. “This was the impact on I‑25. It shut it down for about an hour and a half,” Smith said, describing a grass fire that occurred roughly a month earlier.

Scope and priorities: staff described a dual approach using internal maintenance crews for routine mowing and contracting to remove larger standing dead trees and heavily diseased trees. The prioritized operational zone is 0–15 feet from the edge of pavement for mowing and tree work; contracted crews will remove dead trees and those judged more than 50% dead, chip material on site and remove ladder fuels (clearing branches from ground to about 4 feet). Regions targeted for accelerated tree work include the I‑25/Front Range corridor (El Paso, Teller and Larimer counties), Garfield County and several southwestern counties (Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, Dolores and San Miguel). Staff said they will coordinate with DFPC, state forest service and local partners on priorities.

Environmental and operational notes: staff said chemical bare‑ground treatments and herbicide applications are performed by licensed operators in accordance with Department of Agriculture rules and manufacturer guidance, and that environmental constraints (wildlife, migratory birds, federal easements) will guide where crews operate.

Why it matters: the department framed this as both a public‑safety and traffic‑continuity effort — reducing roadside fuels protects evacuation routes and reduces the chance of highway closures from off‑right‑of‑way fires. The emergency procurement is intended to accelerate work this season while staff complete a prioritized list of highway miles to treat.

Ending: staff will seek maintenance‑reserve designation and contract authority to carry out the tree removals and expanded mowing; STACK members expressed support and asked about coordination with local fire and natural resource agencies.