The ground beneath a damaged section of U.S. 36 through Westminster has finished settling more than two weeks after shifting soil caused a dramatic collapse of the highway’s eastbound lanes, the Colorado Department of Transportation said Monday.

CDOT and a quickly hired contractor are nearing completion of the design for rebuilding the 200-foot stretch of U.S. 36 near Church Ranch Boulevard. Meanwhile, CDOT crews and Kraemer North America finished removing the damaged pavement over the weekend and are still working on removing the crumbled retaining wall beneath the former highway span.

“Complete removal of the wall is expected within the next few weeks, and rebuild will begin immediately after that,” CDOT said in a project update issued late Monday afternoon.

The design is 60 percent finished, CDOT says, and will be nearly complete by week’s end.

CDOT closed eastbound U.S. 36 between Church Ranch and Wadsworth Boulevard on July 12 after cracks in the pavement were followed by sinking and crumbling. CDOT’s lead engineer said a “slope failure” had taken hold as wet clay in the soil caused it to shift down the embankment.

On July 16, CDOT reopened eastbound traffic by placing two lanes in each direction on the westbound side of the freeway.

CDOT officials have said they are confident the soil-shifting issue won’t spread to the westbound side. So far, that has been the case.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the survey team continues to monitor the damaged section of roadway,” CDOT’s update says. “The damage is isolated to one area, and surveys have shown that the damaged section has settled. There continues to be no movement on the westbound side. It is stable and safe for traffic.”

CDOT says that once the repair project begins, crews will work around the clock and on weekends “to complete repairs safely and swiftly,” with occasional overnight lane closures expected.

The state has not announced a final budget or timeline for the rebuilding project, but the Transportation Commission has approved $20.4 million for the work.

An investigation of the collapse is underway, and state officials have said that probe will include a look at the construction and design of a U.S. 36 expansion project in that section about five years ago.