Crews Wrap up CO 133 McClure Pass to Redstone Resurfacing Project

PITKIN & GUNNISON COUNTIES—Crews have finished resurfacing a seven-mile section of Colorado Highway 133, from the summit of McClure Pass to about one mile south of the Town of Redstone.

The project utilized hot-in-place recycling (HIR)—an innovative and efficient process that repairs and rehabilitates deteriorated highways with specialized equipment. In a HIR process, 100 percent of existing road material is rejuvenated, reused and mixed with small quantities of new asphalt, resulting in less waste and fewer truck trips to bring in new materials.

The HIR process also proceeds much faster than a conventional overlay, moving at 20 to 40 feet per minute, and allows two to four lane miles of roadway to be repaired daily.

Total costs are reduced by about 40 percent compared to a traditional asphalt removal and replacement project, according to Project Engineer Mike Fowler of engineering company SGM.

"Hot in-place recycling was a very good application for this segment of CO 133 that was still in relatively good condition, but needed some preventative maintenance to avoid a much costlier replacement project in the future," Fowler said.

Crews also replaced and upgraded 12,000 linear feet of guardrail as part of this project. The recently completed chip seal was the final step in the process. In addition to providing a more skid-resistant driving surface, a chip seal extends the life of a roadway by providing a protective top coat. The chip seal layer helps to shed water and keep it from seeping into the asphalt and freezing, which causes cracks and potholes, and is why CDOT does chip seal operations on a periodic basis when the underlying pavement is still in good condition.

The project team wants to thank the residents of the Towns of Marble and Redstone for their patience during construction. We also want to thank the staff of the White River National Forest, Gunnison and Pitkin Counties Emergency Management, and the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District for their assistance and coordination during this exceptionally dry summer. The ultimate success of this project is a result of a strong partnership between CDOT, United Companies, and engineering firm SGM. Cooperation throughout the project team resulted in delivering this project on time and on budget, as well as providing motorists with added safety improvements and an improved roadway surface.