US 50 Lake Fork Bridge over the Blue Mesa Reservoir fully reopens on Friday afternoon

Montrose, Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties — The Colorado Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the reopening of the US Highway 50 Lake Fork Bridge to normal two-way travel beginning Friday, Dec. 6, in the afternoon.

The US 50 Middle Bridge, located five miles east of this bridge, reopened for two-way travel Nov. 13.

“We are thrilled to announce the restoration of two-way traffic on the Lake Fork bridge, which will return the lane configuration between Gunnison and Montrose back to normal ahead of the holidays,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “We recognize how challenging the closures on US 50 have been for the local community so we are pleased to reach this completion milestone ahead of the busy holiday travel season,” she said.

Crews finished removing the temporary scaffolding structures from beneath the Lake Fork Bridge on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Other work completed included polyester concrete decking, painting and striping.

Repairs to the Lake Fork Bridge involved fabricating 182-ton plates, 915 steel plates total, and used 20,500 bolts in areas that posed an imminent risk to structural integrity. Work will officially be complete in the spring of 2025 after the final coat of paint is applied to both bridges. This work will be done in the spring when temperatures are warmer and it should only require single lane closures.

The US 50 Middle Bridge closed to all traffic April 18 to protect public safety after several cracks were observed during a special inspection. Inspections of the Lake Fork Bridge revealed similar anomalies, prompting single-lane closures on this bridge to address the cracks.

Project Information

• You can email questions to [email protected].
• Website resource: https://www.gunnisoncounty.org/1078/Hwy-50-Bridge-Closure, bit.ly/us50bridge; facebook.com/US50bridge.
• To sign up for email updates on all Gunnison County roadwork messaging, please visit gunnisoncounty.org/list.aspx to select what updates you’d like to start receiving. For road updates, select Travel Advisories from the List.

Know Before You Go

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/COtripapp
• Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts
• See scheduled construction lane closures: bit.ly/laneclosures
• Connect with @ColoradoDOT on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

• Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
• Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
• Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
• Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
• Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
• Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
• Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
• Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
• Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
• Be patient!

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!