CDOT completes improved parking project at two rest areas on US 160

Newly added big rig and recreational parking spaces, recently installed at two rest areas in southwest and south-central Colorado, provide clearly defined parking spaces for enhanced safety.

MONTEZUMA AND RIO GRANDE COUNTY- The Colorado Department of Transportation and contract partner Four Corners Materials are pleased to announce the completion of the US Highway 160 rest area truck parking enhancements project. The project began in April at two locations on US 160, the Sleeping Ute Rest Area in Montezuma County and the Shaw Creek Rest Area in Rio Grande County.

As part of CDOT’s Whole System — Whole Safety initiative, this project focused on safety enhancements to the Sleeping Ute Rest Area, east of Cortez, and Shaw Creek Rest Area, east of South Fork, to provide clearly defined locations for commercial truck and oversized recreational parking. When Wolf Creek Pass is impassable or closed due to inclement weather, vehicle crashes, rockfalls, avalanches or other emergencies that arise, the expansion at Shaw Creek Rest Area will provide safe parking off the highway for oversized trucks or large recreational vehicles. The additional big rig and recreational parking spaces at the Sleeping Ute Rest Area also provide clearly defined parking spaces, allowing for all vehicles, commercial trucks and passenger cars, to safely flow through the rest area preventing potential encounters or crashes.        

Additional work for this project included: erosion control, widening of the existing truck parking areas, asphalt patching, chip seal, striping, and lighting upgrades that consist of new poles and luminaries with improved technology and lower energy use. 

COVID-19  

Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, road maintenance and construction continues on CDOT projects with social distancing and other measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO by practicing social distancing, wearing face masks, staying home when possible, and avoiding nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely.

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.  

To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated inter-regional express service. Gov. Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s multimodal mobility options.