US 550 Red Mountain Pass Closed Temporarily for Vehicle Recovery

OURAY COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation will close US 550 Red Mtn. Pass tomorrow (May 20) starting at 10 a.m. to enable a vehicle recovery at mile point 88.6, just south of the snow shed. The closure points will be at MP 89 on the north side (motorists will be able to access Engineer Pass Road from the north) and approximately MP 87 to the south at Ironton Park.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, on Friday May 15, 2015, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a 2000 Mazda pick-up was parked on the west shoulder of US 550 in a dirt pull-off, unattended. The Mazda began to roll and traveled 138 feet prior to rolling off the mountainside. The Mazda came to rest after rolling over several times down the mountain approximately 250 feet from the roadway.

The closure is likely to last several hours, though depending upon the use of a rotator rig, a single-lane opening is possible. No reopen estimates can be made until work is underway and/or the vehicle is on the pavement. CDOT will post updates on this closure and a reopen time on www.cotrip.org.

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