CDOT has completed a cable guardrail installation project on US 50 near Penrose

FREMONT COUNTY – The Colorado Department of Transportation and contract partner Siete, Inc. have finished installing sections of median cable guardrail and making other safety improvements along a seven-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 50 near the town of Penrose in Fremont County. This state funded project was designed to increase driver safety by preventing median crossover crashes. 

Besides installing the median cable guardrail, crews flattened slopes, paved mow strips, cleaned inlets, performed erosion control, and seeded disturbed areas. New delineation was also installed along the corridor. 

The project began on April 26 between Mile Point 284.50 and MP 291 on US 50. Work was performed Monday to Friday with little to no impacts to the traveling public.

The use of cable guardrail as a safety barrier has been successfully implemented by CDOT regionwide. This tensioned barrier rail is comprised of wires that absorb kinetic energy when hit by a vehicle. The rail flexes on contact, redirecting the vehicle along the median and thereby preventing it from entering opposing traffic. It is also more efficient and faster to install, and less expensive to replace than concrete barriers. 

Project & Travel Info 

For additional information about this project, please refer to the following: 

• Project email: [email protected]

• Project web page: codot.gov/projects/us50-median-cable-rail-replacement

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

• Road conditions and travel information: COtrip.org 

• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts

• Scheduled lane closures

• Connect with us on social media: Twitter @coloradodot and Facebook facebook.com/coloradodot

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.