Highway 96 Improvements Set to Start

July 8, 2014 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - PUEBLO/CUSTER COUNTIES — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) begins upgrading the road surface and bridges on State Highway 96 between Pueblo and Wetmore next week.

Work consists of rotomilling, chip sealing and paving, new guardrails, signing and striping along a 20 mile segment from west of Red Creek Springs Road (mile 46) to the junction of State Highway 67 in Wetmore (mile 26).

Beginning on Tuesday, July 15, drivers should expect traffic stops in four different locations, lasting a total of 30 minutes, while flaggers or a pilot car alternates traffic through the work zone from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.  The speed limit will be reduced to between 45 and 30 mph during work hours, depending on location.

Vehicles wider than 12 feet will not be allowed through the area during work hours.

“I want to remind drivers to slow down because there will be small, loose rocks on the roadway from the chip sealing,” said CDOT Project Engineer Tim McGhghy.  “In addition, from a safety standpoint, temporarily, no centerline will exist through parts of the project so extra caution will be required.”

Bridge improvements also are part of the project, including new expansion joints, bridge rails, and waterproofing at Rock Creek, Red Creek and Ritchie Gulch.

“Highway 96 will be much smoother and a lot easier on the vehicles that travel it once the project is done,” added McGhghy.  “We’re combining asphalt and chip seal to maximize the surface improvements.  First we’ll place asphalt to repair the base roadway and then put down the chip seal, ensuring the best possible highway surface.”

Tony J. Beltramo and Sons Inc. of Pueblo is the contractor for the $3.6 million project.  It is scheduled for completion in October 2014.

Additional information is available by calling the project hotline at 719-240-7729

Traffic information about this or other CDOT projects is on the cotrip.org website, by calling 511 or via subscription e-mail.  To subscribe, please 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 Southeast Colorado (Everything East of I-25 and South of I-70).