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Abstract

When one think of earthquakes the Mountain Plains Region does not come first to mind; rather, the West Coast, South America, Japan, and most recently Italy and Nepal can easily be pictured. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the largest earthquake on record for Colorado occurred in 1882: "The earthquake of November 7, 1882, the first ever to cause damage at Denver, probably centered in the Front Range near Rocky Mountain National Park, and is the largest historical earthquake in the state. The magnitude was estimated to be about 6.2 on the Richter scale. In Boulder County the walls of the depot cracked, and plaster fell from walls at the university at Boulder. The quake was felt as far away as Salina, Kansas and Salt Lake City, Utah" Seismic hazard assessment in Colorado has demonstrated that there is the potential for another event of this magnitude. According to the 2005 Regional Transportation Plan for the Intermountain Transportation Planning Region (2007) there is up to 38,000 vehicles on I-70 each day and it is likely much higher now (2015). Now, consider what would happen if this was disrupted for some period of time, and perhaps if I-25 which intersects I-70 was also disrupted because of one or more bridge or overpass failures. This project examined a range of scenario events to gain a better understanding of the potential level of traffic disruption that might occur at the intersection of two main arterial freeways, namely Interstates 25 and 70.

How to Cite

Lindt, John W. van de, and Negar Nazari. Seismic Risk Assessment for the I-25/I-70 Corridor in the Mountain Plains Region of the U.S., MPC-15-296. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2015.