Highway 10 Improvement Project Set to Start

July 15, 2011 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - Work requires highway closure for about two months.

OTERO COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be closing State Highway 10 to through traffic for several weeks between La Junta and Walsenburg for extensive roadwork, requiring use of an alternate route for about two months.

Highway 10 is scheduled to close on Friday, July 22.  However, the closure date might be moved back to Monday, July 25, if the contractor needs additional days to prepare the project site.

Six-tenths of a mile (mile 46-46.6) will be reconstructed, about 24 miles west of La Junta.  Work consists of removing and replacing the two-foot road base and asphalt surface, which will extend the effective service life of the highway.  The shoulders also will be widened, enhancing safety through this segment.

The project includes removing the surface of the Apishapa River Bridge, allowing the deck to be waterproofed and repaved, increasing the structure’s lifespan at least 10 years.

“By closing the highway to traffic, it’ll allow us to quickly remove the substandard roadway, rebuild it and reopen it to traffic within a shorter timeframe,” said CDOT Project Engineer Rod Abbott.  “It would have taken significantly longer to complete the project if we would have tried to maintain traffic through the work zone.”

Local traffic still will be able to travel SH 10 up to the closure points while the road is closed.

The shortest detour routes are:

  • U.S. 50 between La Junta and Pueblo – Interstate 25 between Pueblo and Walsenburg (111 miles)
  • U.S. 350 between La Junta and Trinidad – Interstate 25 between Trinidad and Walsenburg (109 miles)

CDOT Maintenance also will be repairing potholes and paving a short segment of SH 10 while traffic impacts are minimal.

The highway is scheduled to reopen to through traffic in September 2011.

Habitat Construction of Rocky Ford, CO. is the prime contractor for the $1 million project.

Updated information regarding traffic impacts on this or other CDOT projects is available at www.coloradodot.info/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html or by calling 511.  To receive project updates via e-mail, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the cell-phone icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The link takes you to a list of items you can subscribe to, including Southeastern Colorado.