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Boulder that destroyed SW Colorado highway will be the state's newest landmark

The massive boulder that is estimated to be the size of a building will now and forever be called Memorial Rock.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY, Colo. — An 8.5-million pound boulder that destroyed a highway in southwest Colorado will not be destroyed and will instead be dubbed a state landmark. 

Governor Jared Polis tweeted the announcement on Tuesday, saying that the move will save taxpayers money. The plan now is to keep the giant rock and build the highway around it.

"We expect that for generations to come people have the opportunity to observe this geological masterpiece that we are calling Memorial Rock," Polis said Tuesday.

The rock was part of a slide that left an 8-foot trench in CO 145 about 12 miles north of Dolores on May 24.

RELATED | Rockslide leaves 8-foot trench in highway outside Dolores, temp road opens

Crews blasted one of the two massive boulders that destroyed the road, according to Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) Facebook page. 

A temporary road was built CDOT’s maintenance division to help get traffic through the area. 

The boulder that is left on the road is estimated to be 8.5 million pounds and about 50'x50'x26', or the size of a building. 

RELATED | Next Question: Did the massive rockslide near Dolores register as an earthquake?

The original plan was to blast that one, too. Instead, Polis said it will be called Memorial Rock, since it landed on Memorial Day, and it will be a permanent fixture in the area. 

Keeping it will save taxpayers about $200,000, Polis said.

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