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They’re just going to leave that coyote under there?
Here’s hoping he can tunnel all the way to Albuquerque…
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Sweet. new bouldering problems with zero approach.
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I’m guessing that here’s your answer - it’s not better for “taxpayers” but better for Colorado’s budget:
“most of that money will come from emergency funds from the Federal Highway Administration.”
It would have cost the Colorado Department of Transportation $200,000 to blow up the boulder with dynamite and haul it away
It depends on how much road they’re going to have to re-route, though. It damaged the bit it landed on, but at best they’re going to have to grade, prepare and pave a much larger section in order to have a straight road that bypasses the obstruction. The cost issue seems mostly about balancing what bit of the cost would be borne by the state (removing the rock) versus the federal government (most of building the road) for the minimum cost to state.
On the state payroll.
Mostly paid with federal funds.
I’m finding this pretty funny, actually - some version of this conversation must have happened:
“I was crunching the numbers and, funny thing, it would be cheaper for us if we left the rock and used federal funds to pave around it. Ha ha!”
“So what you’re saying is, don’t get rid of the rock at all? What if it wasn’t a ‘rock’ but was… um… a tourist attraction?”
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The kids haven’t been this excited about a road trip since that visit to Pothole Canyon.
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If your looking for a road trip with the kids, take them to the Biggest ball of twin in Minnesota.
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If you were coming to Spokane, you should have told me 
(My wife and I regularly joke about getting home quicker than expected every time we pass the signs for Potholes State Park on our way back from Seattle.)
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Looks like that part of Colorado (Dolores) has a relative scarcity of climbing areas. That boulder might easily have around 5, 8 routes on it? Could be nice little bouldering destination.
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The biggest reason the new road will go around it, is because at least that’s an option in that section of the valley. Flat, wide, and no weird substrate. Why bother trying to remove an EIGHT and HALF MILLION POUND ROCK, then try to fix all the smashness underneath - the morning news said the new ‘pothole’ under the rock is 15 deep - when there’s enough room to gradually curve the road away from that monolith - literally - MONOLITH! Also, that was just the biggest big 'ole rock to land on the highway - they did blow up the others, but the Memorial Rock was just too big. So, the figure for highway repairs includes the BIG potholes that the other, ‘more manageable’ rocks left behind. And as Morcheeba pointed out, this is where giant boulders tend to fall.
When boulders (regularly) fall onto Highway 6 out of Golden, they have to be blown up or picked up, and the road damage has to be repaired - because there isn’t any room to do anything else. There’s no option to move the road. Big Thompson Canyon is so narrow and the walls are so sheer, that you feel like you need to suck in your gut when you drive through it or risk falling into the river.
Edit: Oops! I gave the wrong impression that Highway 6 and Big Thompson Canyon are one and the same. They are two entirely different scary highways squeezed next to angry rivers in Colorado.
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How about move the border to the rock?
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It seems like a missed opportunity.
How many granite countertops could be made from this rock?
I am thinking of setting up a diamond wire cutting saw to cut this into vertical slices, and selling them as rough slabs.
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Rest In Peace.
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Some would say that plan rocks
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This could be used to cut away the inevitable graffiti.
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They expect a big rock will attract tourists… to visit a spot on the highway between Cortez and Telluride? Hmm. Sure, why not? “You’re in among the mountains, but here’s a relatively small bit of one that is still pretty big compared to you. Marvel and tremble at its glory!”
Boulders are our state flower (I kid).
I like this idea, it has a Pikmin feel. Or that one game that Molyneux made, “Curiosity: What’s Inside the Cube?” They could even give $10,000 to the first person that can haul the remaining boulder away. However before handing just any fool a pickaxe some wavers will need to be signed. At some point someone will be squished.
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