US 550 Red Mountain Pass Closed Tonight

February 10, 2011 - Southwestern Colorado/CDOT Region 5 - Large cranes and procedures to clear crash debris from valley floor require closure of highway.

OURAY COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation will close US 550 over Red Mountain Pass overnight to allow a wrecking contractor to extract a vehicle below the highway. The vehicle—a cab and chassis bound for Montrose last week—went over the edge and down approximately 120 feet (the driver, remarkably, is alright) at mile point 79.25, about nine miles north of Silverton near the summit of the pass.

The pass will be closed at night, from 6 PM until possibly 5:30 AM, to minimize impacts to the traveling public. This extended closure is necessary as the contractor sets up two cranes on the narrow roadway, lifts and loads the heavy vehicle, sets the vehicle for transport and finally disassembles the cranes.

Motorists are encouraged to plan their travel accordingly and seek alternate routes using CDOT’s traveler information web site at www.cotrip.org or calling 511 for statewide road conditions.