US 160 Four Corners Area Reconstruction Update

MONTEZUMA COUNTY – Crews have begun the process of removing the full depth of asphalt pavement—taking the roadway down to a dirt surface—on US 160 near the Four Corners. This is part of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s rehabilitation of another section of US 160 near Aztec Creek (west of the junction with US 491) between mile points 11 and 18, on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. (The project is an extension of the work that was completed last season, between MP 7.5 and 11, for a contract amount of $6.5 million.)

This current phase of work, contracted to SEMA for $11.1 million, also involves significant drainage improvements to reduce erosion; minor highway widening to 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders to meet federal safety standards; roadway realignment to reduce the horizontal curves; roadway leveling to lessen vertical curves (hills); and finally, a full-depth reclamation of the six-mile section of roadway. This consists of grinding the existing asphalt down to a dirt surface, recycling the material for use as the roadway base, and laying a new 4-inch asphalt surface. The project will wrap up in September 2011.

TRAVEL IMPACTS: Work is currently being done Monday through Friday, from 6:30 AM to 7 PM; motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays, which may vary with traffic volumes. Motorists will be driving on some rough surface now until the paving begins in August - extreme caution is advised, particularly for motorcycles. For updates to this and other project schedules, the public may sign up to receive e-mail and/or wireless notifications by going to CDOT’s web site at www.coloradodot.info and select the green phone icon in the upper right corner. Travelers can also get project information by logging on to www.cotrip.org or calling 511 from anywhere in the state.

Thank you for going Slow for the Cone Zone!