Montrose County, Gunnison County, Hinsdale County — Starting Friday, May 3, County Road 26 (Lake City Interruption) will be open four times a day for local travel between Montrose and Gunnison. Here is the complete list of travel times:
Westbound starts from 6:30-7 a.m. on CO 149 and CR 26.
Eastbound starts from 7:30 to 8 a.m. at US 50 and CR 26.
Westbound will begin on CO 149 and CR 26 from noon to 12:30 p.m. **Starting Friday, May 3rd
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM eastbound starting from US 50 and CR 26**Starting Friday, May 3rd
Westbound starts at CO 149 and CR 26 from 6:30 to 7 p.m.
eastbound starting from US 50 and CR 26 from 7:30 to 8 p.m.
Westbound service begins on CO 149 and CR 26 from 8:30 to 9 p.m. **Starting Friday, May 3rd
eastbound starting from US 50 and CR 26 from 9:30 to 10 p.m. **Starting Friday, May 3rd
CDOT has worked closely with Gunnison County officials, contractor Kiewit Infrastructure, Inc., and the Federal Highway Administration to safely expand access to CR 26. Kiewit workers will continue to improve the CR 26 and make adjustments to ensure work continues smoothly. CDOT assisted Gunnison County by establishing CR 26 as a local access route the week of April 22 and now expanding its opening hours.
Public movement to CR 26 outside of the above hours is prohibited. Travelers should continue to plan for pilot vehicles and dirt road services. CR 26 is a natural alpine roadway and was not constructed to maintain existing US 50 traffic levels. Trailers and commercial vehicles exceeding 16,000 GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) are not permitted on local access routes. Prohibited vehicles should use the recommended alternative route for travel between Gunnison and Montrose. There are two recommended detours: north on Interstate 70 or south on US 160. These detours add 6 to 8 hours to travel time.
A hotline and email address are available to assist customers with questions regarding local access routes and US 50 bridge closures. If you have any questions, please contact us at 970-648-4423 or us50bridge@gmail.com. Calls are closely monitored and answered promptly. Information is also available on the project website: bit.ly/us50bridge. Travelers should refer to COtrip.org or his COtrip Planner app on their smartphones to plan alternative routes.
Impact on travel
- US 50 closed between Montrose and Gunnison
- Recommended alternative routes are I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south.
- Limited local access routes are available for travel within the specified travel times below.
- Westbound – 6:30-7 a.m., 6:30-7 p.m.
- Eastbound – 7:30-8 a.m. and 7:30-8 p.m.
- Starting Friday, May 3, two additional travel times will be available.
- Westbound will begin on CO 149 and CR 26 from noon to 12:30 p.m. Eastbound starting from US 50 and CR 26, from 1 to 1:30 p.m.
- Westbound starts at CO 149 and CR 26 from 8:30pm to 9pm. Eastbound starting from US 50 and CR 26, from 9:30 to 10 p.m.
Danny “Dan R” Ridenour has been involved in radio and television broadcasting for over 40 years, starting as a high school senior in Rogers, Arkansas. His radio career stopped in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma, and eventually Colorado. Dan enjoys being involved in the community, being a member of the Upper Arkansas Service Club and currently living in Salida, where he is a board member of the Community Center and a member of the Chaffee County Fair Committee. He and his wife, Carrie, spend their days hiking, camping, fishing, skiing, and all things mountain. They raised three children and have two grandchildren.
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