Chain up station improvements to begin next week on US 50 Monarch Pass

Travel Advisory

May 13, 2021 - South/South Central -

MONARCH PASS — The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin chain up station improvements on Monarch Pass starting May 17. The project is located at various chain station locations on US 50 between mile points 189 and 211 in Chaffee, Gunnison, and Saguache Counties. 

“CDOT places a high priority on highway projects that help our commercial trucks roll smoothly along key corridors like US 50,” said Shoshana Lew, CDOT Executive Director. “It is critical that trucks chain up in winter storm events when Colorado's chain law is enforced. Chain up stations provide a safe place for drivers to fit snow chains onto (or off) their truck tires.” 

All chain up stations will have new lighting installed, with some locations equipped with solar powered lighting. Five locations will have widening and paving improvements, and two culverts will be replaced for drainage upgrades. Tricon 2, LLC has been selected for this project, with work expected to be completed in the fall.

President of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association (CMCA), Greg Fulton also acknowledged the importance of chain up stations, “We appreciate and welcome the Monarch Pass chain station improvements by CDOT. These sites make it safer for truck drivers to comply with the law and apply chains during icy and snow packed conditions. It’s a great benefit to the trucking industry to have a safe well-lit environment for drivers to pull off the roadway, get out of their vehicles and safely put chains on tires or remove chains from tires.” 

US 50 Monarch Map

Travel Impacts 

Travelers will encounter construction operations Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Traffic control and temporary signals will be operating 24/7 with one lane closures at project work zones. Motorists are urged to use caution and watch for heavy equipment. At times, through lanes and turn lanes may be temporarily closed to traffic causing brief travel delays. Any temporary closures are to ensure the safety of the workers and the traveling public. Motorists should slow down, drive with caution and give themselves extra travel time.

Stay Informed 

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

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts, anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

Notice to Commercial Truckers and Through Travelers on US 50

West bound commercial truck drivers and other travelers should be aware of major closures due to the US 50 Little Blue Creek Canyon project, located west of Gunnison. Travel time between Sargents and the Little Blue Creek Canyon closure point is approximately 1.5 hours. Travelers are urged to plan ahead. Visit the project website for more information about the US 50 Little Blue Creek Canyon Project: www.us50info.com.

About CDOT

CDOT’s Whole System-Whole Safety program has one simple mission — to get everyone home safely. Our approximately 3,000 employees work tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. The department manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,000 bridges and 35 mountain passes. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also operates Bustang, the state-owned interregional express bus service. Gov. Jared Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.