US 550 Hermosa Creek Bridge work postponed

The Colorado Department of Transportation has postponed work on the U.S. Highway 550 bridge located at Hermosa Creek in the Animas Valley north of Durango at MP 32. An active American Dipper nest, protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) was found on the bridge structure. Under the MBTA, any active nest containing an egg or young can not be removed or interfered with to prevent displacing the birds. Work will resume after Memorial Day, once it has been determined that the young have fledged and the nest is unoccupied as determined by the wildlife biologist. Travel impact information will be announced at that time.

Nesting birds at Hermosa Creek structure on US 550 delay bridge work (photo credit of Stephen Monroe, The American Dipper Project )

Once crews are able to resume work, repairs will be performed including removal and replacement of asphalt membranes, bridge deck repairs, and bridge joint repairs. Work on the Hermosa Creek structure is now expected to be completed by mid July.

PROJECT INFORMATION 

For additional information about this project: 

• Call the project information line at 970-840-8517 

• Email the project team at [email protected]  

• Visit the project website at www.codot.gov/projects/southwestern-colorado-bridge-maintenance.

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, 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. Gov. Polis issued an emergency, temporary stay-at-home order for all of Colorado, which went into effect March 26. With this order, the public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO and avoid all nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely.

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY. In early 2019, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to heighten safety awareness. This initiative 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.