Upcoming Closure of Highway 9

September 15, 2011 - Central Eastern Colorado/CDOT Region 1 - Alternate route required for overnight travel between Summit and Park counties.

BLUE RIVER, CO. – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will close State Highway 9 to through traffic next week, about 4 ½ miles south of Breckenridge, allowing new culverts to be installed at a crossing of the Blue River.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, and continuing until 7 a.m. on Friday, September 23, approximately 1/5 of a mile of Highway 9 will be closed to all traffic in the Town of Blue River, between 97 Circle Road on the north and Calle De Plata Road on the south.

SUGGESTED DETOUR ROUTE: From Summit County – Interstate 70 west to Copper Mountain, State Highway 91 south to Leadville, U.S 24 south to Buena Vista, U.S. 285 north to Park County.  From Park County – above route in reverse.

“We’re replacing three old steel culverts that failed and were only 48 inches in diameter with three, five-by-nine-foot, concrete box culverts,” said CDOT Resident Engineer Grant Anderson.  “The one night closure helps accelerate the overall schedule.  In addition, the river’s at its lowest level in September so it’s the best time of year to do this type of work.”

The new culverts are designed to withstand a 100-year flood and other similar high-water conditions.

Initial work begins on Monday, September 19.  Flaggers will alternate northbound and southbound traffic through the project site from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Delays up to 15 minutes should be expected.  Work is scheduled to continue through Tuesday, September 27, including the weekend of September 24 and 25.

Due to this year’s heavy runoff in June and July, about a 1/2 of foot of water flooded the highway for a few weeks when the old culverts were unable to handle the overflow.  “We were fortunate that CDOT maintenance crews were able to save the roadway, keeping us from having to close the highway for an extended period of time,” added Anderson.  “Crews were able to reinforce the shoulders, keeping the roadbed and surface from washing away.  They also manned the site 24-hours-a-day just in case emergency measures needed to be taken on a moment’s notice.”

The $300,000 project is contracted to Stan Miller, Inc. of Breckenridge.