Rockfall Update - US 550 Red Mountain Pass

OURAY COUNTY – The recent cold spell has greatly assisted crews as they work to install rockfall fencing on US 550 as things stay frozen and "locked up" on the mountainside above. Since January 31, the highway has been opened up to traffic twice a day (6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.); the road remains closed throughout the day to enable crews to install the fence.

Great progress has been made—six of 10 total fence posts have been installed on the highway and today crews will anchor the six posts to the rock face above, run the cable and begin attaching the fencing (which was manufactured on-site from the rockfall netting that was placed on the slope). The four remaining posts will also be installed today, if time allows.

“We’ll start setting the barrier tomorrow on the south end while Yenter Companies is finishing their work the on the north end,” said Incident Commander Greg Stacy, CDOT’s deputy superintendent for the Durango Maintenance Section. “Our target opening is Friday night if everything goes extremely well.”

Motorists are urged to check www.cotrip.org before setting out for the pass.

US 550 ROCKFALL INFORMATION:  Briefs and photos are posted on CDOT’s Media Room page at http://www.coloradodot.info/news/media-room.html and full press releases, which have been issued each night after the end-of-day briefing meeting, are posted at:  http://www.coloradodot.info/news/statewide-news.

ALTERNATE ROUTE & INFORMATION: Travelers can use the following highways for an alternate route:  SH 62, SH 145 and US 160. For information on other CDOT projects, the public may call 511 or log onto CDOT’s traveler information web site at www.cotrip.org. Better yet, sign up to receive email and/or text messages by going to CDOT’s web site at www.coloradodot.info and choosing the green phone icon in the upper right corner.