Travelers Advised of Detour North of Alamosa

Travel Advisory

September 10, 2020 - Southwest Colorado - Road construction continues on CO 17, motorists should use US 285.

ALAMOSA & SAGUACHE COUNTIES--Due to increased activity and motorist wait times, traffic will be detoured around the CO Highway 17 project work area, north of Alamosa. Beginning on Monday, September 14, motorists traveling northbound and southbound should use the alternate route of US Highway 285.

Alternate Routes & Traffic Impacts

The detour will be in place until further notice during project work hours, which are daylight hours Monday through Saturday. The road will be fully open at night. Using the alternate route will help motorists avoid multiple lengthy traffic stops and wait times. The detour will also allow crews to work steadily with fewer traffic interruptions. More importantly, a significant benefit of the detour is the increased safety for travelers and the construction workers. Studies have shown that traffic which must come to a complete stop has an increased chance of rear-end crashes. 

Northbound

Motorists traveling north on CO 17 will be detoured onto CO 112 (through Center), west to US 285 and proceed north on US 285 (through Saguache). 

Southbound 

Travelers heading south on US 285 should avoid turning south at the CO 17 junction and continue on US 285 through Saguache. Southbound travelers can then access CO 112 just west Center, where they will travel east to CO 17.

Local Traffic 

Local users who live or work within the construction zone, MP 88.1 to MP 118.4, will be able to get a “Local Travel Pass” simply by asking the traffic control personnel on duty. Those motorists will then be able to access the construction zone simply by showing their pass.

Motorists are asked to use caution when approaching the work zone. Travel impacts for the project include:

  • Project work hours are daylight hours, Monday through Saturday.
  • Local residents and business owners will encounter brief closures with single-lane alternating traffic to allow trucks and equipment to enter and exit the work zone.
  • The speed limit is reduced to 40 mph through the work zone. 
  • 12-foot width restriction will be in place during project work hours.
  • Flagging personnel will be on sight to direct local traffic through the area as construction equipment enters and exits the work zone.

Detour along US 285 to avoid construction between Villa Grove and Alamosa

Project Background

CDOT is improving approximately 36 miles of CO 17, from Hooper to the US 285 junction. The work consists of widening the existing roadway followed with a new asphalt overlay. The project also has minor culvert extensions, erosion control, signing, and striping. The project will greatly enhance safety for travelers on this narrow two-lane highway, with wider shoulders that provide a larger recoverable area on the side of the road and reduce the potential of crashes from vehicles veering off the roadway. 

For additional information about this project, contact the project team.