US 550 Red Mountain Pass culvert improvements completed

OURAY & SAN JUAN COUNTIES — The Colorado Department of Transportation completed work on the US Highway 550 culvert repair project earlier this month. The project, located in Ouray County, was approximately 10 miles south of Ouray and just north of the Red Mountain Pass summit, from mileposts 80 to 81.5. The project consisted of removing and replacing culverts at two locations, as well as stabilizing stream banks. The project also extended and widened the existing parking and pullout area on the west side of the highway near the pass summit.

This project benefits motorists by providing a safer highway when snow runoff or rainstorms occur. Improvements at two existing culvert sites allow water to flow unobstructed under the roadway. The improvements to the parking and pullout area provide more space for travelers and backcountry users who may need to stop, pullover, or park along the pass.

Project Information

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

Project hotline: (970) 230-3311
Project email: [email protected]
Project web page: www.codot.gov/projects/us550-culvert-repairs-ouray-county

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
• Download the COtrip Planner app: bit.ly/3DYCDOH
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts
• See scheduled construction lane closures: bit.ly/3n9ZAI1
• Connect with @ColoradoDOT on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

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.