Fact: During the construction and removal phases of Over The River, the Bureau of Land Management’s analysis showed that impacts would be negligible to minor and short term due to the limited time frame of construction activities and the implemented traffic management measures. At times, the installation process will require temporary one-lane closures on US-50, but these short-term closures will involve no more than a 400-foot stretch of the highway in any 10-mile section. Each lane closure is estimated to cause and average delay of only 3-minutes per vehicle. Any temporary closure will be enforced with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) approved flagging protocol and will be similar to the typical one-lane CDOT road repair closures that periodically take place on US-50.

When combined, all construction-related delays are estimated to cause approximately a one percent increase in overall travel time for the 28-month installation period. In addition, an extensive traffic management plan will be developed as part of the Over The River Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. CDOT is a cooperating agency on the EIS, and its input has been crucial in developing and evaluating the specific mitigation measures and traffic management plan for Over The River. This plan will provide a framework that can continue to help improve traffic conditions in the canyon long after Over The River has been removed.  Click here to learn more.

Fact: Christo views wildlife as one of the Valley’s greatest resources and is committed to habitat protection. The fabric panels will not block wildlife access to the river for water and food, and the artists have specifically designed Over The River in a way that avoids placing fabric panels in prominent watering areas. Additionally, the construction and viewing periods for Over The River have been carefully scheduled around breeding and nesting seasons. As an added precaution, construction buffer zones will be created near potentially active eagle nests and around designated sheep areas.

Christo’s commitment to protecting wildlife and the environment is evident in the Bureau of Land Management’s analysis. In fact, the Final Environmental Impact Statement identifies no “Significant Impacts” to any terrestrial, avian or aquatic wildlife as a result of Over The River when the identified mitigation measures are implemented. Click here to learn more.

Fact: During the Over The River blossoming, exhibition and removal periods, emergency response teams and equipment, as well as law enforcement staff, will be located at strategic intervals along the canyon. Furthermore, the artists will provide ambulance and helicopter services to help expedite emergency response times during blossoming,  exhibition and removal. The artists intentionally altered their design to eliminate fabric panels from river locations that have a high incidence of rescue so that emergency responders can easily access the river. Christo will continue work with local municipalities and emergency responders. In fact, the Over The River Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will include specific emergency/incident response plans, which will benefit valley residents for years to come.

The Final EIS concludes that: “Local service providers, including emergency services, would be able to meet demands of both visitors and residents from the beginning of the installation period through the end of the removal period.” Click here to learn more.

Fact: In all of their years of creating large-scale temporary works of art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s projects have had a very low incidence of vandalism. For Over The River, Christo will provide a security presence throughout the installation and removal periods. Full-time professional security will be stationed throughout the project site 24 hours a day during exhibition, including an additional 100 to 150 monitoring personnel that will be onsite from dawn to dusk during the two-week exhibition.

Fact: The artists and their team conducted a series of life-size tests over a three year period, developing engineering techniques to ensure that the fabric panels will remain secured and that all installation components are safe. For example, they tested the fabric to ensure it could withstand heavy downpours by conducting a “porocity” test. Approximately 5,000 gallons of water were poured directly on top of a fabric panel, yet the test resulted in no water accumulation or pooling. To ensure that the project could withstand high winds, one of the world’s leading experts performed wind tunnel tests both on site and at a state-of-the-art testing facility in Canada. All tests have proven the hardware components and fabric panels of Over The River to be completely secure. A prominent Colorado engineering firm has also independently evaluated the test results and will approve all design plans prior to installation, as required by law.

Fact: Christo has a passion for the environment and brings to Over The River an unwavering commitment to environmental conservation and protection. Every effort will be made to minimize all potential impacts related to noise, vegetation, air quality and water quality. The Bureau of Land Management’s analysis of Over The River confirms Christo’s commitment to environmental preservation:

• A “tread lightly work ethic” will be implemented through mandatory trainings to make all workers and staff aware of environmental issues and what they need to do to avoid impacts to sensitive resources.

• Many design features will be implemented to reduce sediment input to the river, including sediment fences, rubber mats, limiting access and restoring disturbed areas to preconstruction conditions. As a result, the potential for sediment input to the river is considered a minor level impact.

• Design measures consisting of mufflers and spark arrestors will reduce noise levels to the extent that US-50 traffic noise is comparable to drilling noise of 75-85 decibels.

• Power all construction vehicles/equipment with the cleanest fuel available.

• Develop and strictly adhere to a construction routing/scheduling plan.

Click here to learn more about the Over The River Environmental Impact Statement.