Expanded travel times begin Friday, May 3 for County Road 26 local access route

Travel Advisory

May 1, 2024 - Northwestern Colorado - Lake City Cutoff will be open four times a day in each direction; road improvements will continue

Montrose, Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties — Starting Friday, May 3, County Road 26 (Lake City Cutoff) will be open four times a day for local travel between Montrose and Gunnison. The full list of travel times will be:

  • 6:30 to 7 a.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26
  • 7:30 to 8 a.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26

  • Noon to 12:30 p.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26 - **Starting Friday, May 3
  • 1 to 1:30 p.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26 - **Starting Friday, May 3

  • 6:30 to 7 p.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26
  • 7:30 to 8 p.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26

  • 8:30 to 9 p.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26.**Starting Friday, May 3
  • 9:30 to 10 p.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26. **Starting Friday, May 3

CDOT has been closely coordinating with Gunnison County officials, contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Co. and the Federal Highway Administration to safely expand access to CR 26. Improvements to CR 26 by Kiewit crews will continue, and will be adjusted to make sure work continues smoothly. CDOT supported Gunnison County with establishing CR 26 as a local access route during the week of April 22 and now the expanded open times.

No other public travel will be allowed on CR 26 outside of the times listed above. Travelers should continue to plan for pilot vehicles and an unpaved road service. CR 26 is a high-mountain, native surface road that is not built to sustain existing US 50 traffic levels. Trailers and commercial vehicles more than 16,000 GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) are not allowed on the local access route. Prohibited vehicles will need to use recommended alternate routes for travel between Gunnison and Montrose. There are two recommended detours, via Interstate 70 to the north or US 160 to the south. These detours add six to eight hours of travel time.

A hotline and email address are available to assist customers with questions about the local access route and US 50 bridge closure. Anyone with questions can reach out via 970-648-4423 or [email protected]. Calls will be closely monitored and will receive a prompt reply. Information is also available on the project website at bit.ly/us50bridge. Travelers should refer to COtrip.org or the smartphone COtrip Planner app to plan an alternate route.

Travel Impacts

  • US 50 is closed between Montrose and Gunnison
  • Recommended alternate routes are I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south
  • A limited, local access route is in place for travel in place during the following designated travel times:
    • Westbound travel - 6:30 to 7 a.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m.
    • Eastbound travel - 7:30 to 8 a.m. and 7:30 to 8 p.m.
  • Starting Friday, May 3, two additional travel times will be available:
    • Noon to 12:30 p.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26; 1 to 1:30 p.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26
    • 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. for westbound travel beginning at CO 149 and CR 26; 9:30 to 10 p.m. for eastbound travel beginning at US 50 and CR 26

Project Information

For additional information about this project:

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:

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!