If you have been on the Pikes Peak Highway over the last month you probably have noticed that there has been lots of activity from the end of the pavement to around the eight-mile post. The folks at the Pikes Peak Highway are planning on paving that section of the highway this fall if the weather cooperates. Participants on the North Slope field trip earlier this summer were able to view and hear about the Pikes Peak Highway's plans to contain gravel eroding off the highway and eventually pave the entire highway. Jack Glavin, showed the group several erosion control features including settling basins near the Half Way Picnic Ground. Experimentally the Pikes Peak Highway had tried used tank tracks and tire bales to slow down runoff. Ultimately the decision was made in conjunction with the Sierra Club and the U.S. Forest Service to use more conventional techniques. The Highway will first control erosion and then pave the highway. The highway has been divided into segments that have been prioritized. As a result the paving activity will not proceed up the mountain, but jump around depending on the priority list. It will take several years to pave the highway, but there is a definite commitment on the part of the City and the Pikes Peak Highway to pave the highway to the summit. It was an interesting experience. Thanks to Jack for taking the time to show the group developments on Pikes Peak.
