Colorado Will Leave House-Sized Boulder Along Highway

DENVER (AP) — A boulder the size of a house that tumbled across and gouged a southwestern Colorado state highway last month will stay put. State officials plan to rebuild the highway next to it, saving taxpayers money and possibly creating a tourist attraction.

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday that Colorado will save about $200,000 by not blasting the 8.5 million pound (3.9 million kilogram) boulder. He said people will also have the opportunity to see the boulder dubbed “Memorial Rock,” which fell on Memorial Day weekend.

It was the largest rock in a rockslide on Colorado Highway 145 near the town of Dolores on May 24 and ended up just off the road.

The Colorado Department of Transportation says the total cost of fixing the road, adding a guardrail in front of the boulder and cleanup will be about $1.3 million.

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This story has been corrected to say that the highway will be rebuilt in its existing location and not re-routed around the boulder.