US 550 Red Mountain Pass Work on Hold for Thanksgiving

SOUTHWEST COLORADO—From Wednesday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 25, there will be no work on the Ruby Walls cliff side south of Ouray so travelers can access US Highway 550 Red Mountain Pass with no interruptions or delays over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Work will resume on Monday, Nov. 26.

Post-Thanksgiving Travel Impacts

• 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26 - Friday, Nov. 30
  Motorists on US 550 Red Mountain Pass may encounter periodic shorter closures of up to 20 minutes while crews work on the cliff walls. Watch for flaggers and be prepared for traffic stops. The road will return to regular two-way traffic every evening, until construction resumes the following morning.
  
  
• 7 a.m. to noon and noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27
  US 550 Red Mountain Pass will be closed in both directions as San Miguel Power Company performs electrical work. Motorists will have a one-hour window of opportunity at noon to travel through the work zone.

• Southbound traffic will be stopped just south of Ouray, at the "Switzerland of America" overlook. The public cannot access the Bear Creek scenic overlook.
  
  
• Northbound traffic will be stopped at Ironton. Roads and trails south of Ironton cannot be accessed, including Engineer Pass.

Project Info

Crews are repairing the draped netting that hangs on the face of the cliff wall, which traps falling rocks. Additionally, new supplemental netting and fencing are being installed to increase the capacity for debris and prevents rocks from falling onto the highway.

The targeted completion date is Dec. 1, with a goal to finish the work before significant snowfall. As a result, inclement weather may impact the duration of the project.