LYONS, Colo. (KDVR)— The Colorado Department of Transportation and Flatiron Constructors said on Thursday that US 36 between Lyons and Estes Park will reopen much earlier than originally expected.

CDOT says that the road will open by Sunday at the latest, but could potentially open as early as Friday afternoon. This is dependent on weather and progress made.

On March 9, the one-mile section of US 36 was closed to install a deep drainage culvert beneath the roadway.

They anticipated the road to open on April 6.

Project officials say they believe the early completion of work at Mile Point 8 is due to favorable weather conditions, lower-than-anticipated traffic counts and Flatiron’s ability to work around-the-clock.

“The Flatiron Construction and CDOT team really accomplished something extraordinary here. They worked together around the clock, through winter storms, kept emergency services moving during a global pandemic and built major safety features on US 36 ahead of schedule. I’m so impressed with this team’s ability to get the public moving between Estes Park and Lyons earlier than expected.”

Brian Varrella, CDOT Region 4 Resident Engineer

Residents and others interested in the exact timing of the opening can sign up for email alerts by emailing the project team at us36milepost8@gmail.com.

Project officials said this improvement was necessary to reduce future closures and permanently fix the damages caused by the 2013 flood.

The 2013 floods were devastating to this region, project officials say, and this project will help decrease the impact of future floods.

Two major drainage structures continue to be installed under US 36, which will return the Little Thompson River back to its original, natural channel.

Project officials say that this will also increase the safety for everyone using the roadway by increasing visibility around a blind corner and increase the size of the shoulder.