This $11.3 million project features a wildlife overpass and underpass, two miles of exclusion fencing, escape ramps, and road improvements on U.S. Highway 160 at the Colorado Highway 151 junction, near Chimney Rock National Monument.

Before its completion in the summer of 2022, over 60% of crashes in the area involved wildlife. The location is a key migration point for elk and deer. GPS data and video surveillance showed elk using the crossings even before construction finished. In its first fall migration season, cameras recorded 1,334 mule deer and 603 elk using the structures, keeping them off the highway and reducing collisions. The project is expected to decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions by 80-90%, protecting both animals and motorists.

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The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles is excited to announce the success of a staff-led donation drive, bringing comfort to children in crisis through a collection of stuffed animals for use during emergency situations.

The DMV collected 1,118 new stuffed animals at 24 driver license offices (DLOs) across the state as part of the seventh annual KOSI 101.1 Teddy Bear Patrol presented by Smashburger.

The Teddy Bear Patrol is a yearly donation drive that collects new stuffed animals for first responders and emergency teams across the state. First responders use the donations to comfort children during emergencies, such as automobile wrecks or house fires.

Coloradans donated 6,122 stuffed animals to the donation drive, all of which will be distributed to first responders throughout the state. 

Read about Teddy Bear Patrol Success

Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Revenue announced that Direct File will be available starting for tax year 2025, which Coloradans will file for in 2026. Coloradans will be able to use Direct File, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, to file their federal tax returns directly with the IRS and Colorado returns directly with the Colorado Department of Revenue in 2026. This will save Coloradans millions of dollars of filing fees, millions of hours of time, and help connect taxpayers with additional claims and credits. Coloradans can already use Revenue Online(opens in new window)(opens in new window) to file their state income taxes online for free.

“Filing taxes is no fun. It is often confusing, time-consuming, and expensive, which is why we’re taking steps to make it easier for Coloradans to file. I am thrilled that when filing their taxes in 2026 for tax year 2025, Coloradans can ditch the filing fees and file their own returns directly with the federal government. This action, which we called for, will save Coloradans time and millions of dollars of filing fees while ensuring hardworking families and individuals receive the additional claims and credits they have earned,” said Governor Polis. 

Read about Direct File