August 26,2008
Paving on US 550 Red Mountain Wraps Up
Work continues with additional safety improvements including
shoulders, delineators, weather stations and new road closure gates
Motorists will encounter periodic delays
through September, Mon-Fri
OURAY COUNTY – The paving is completed on US 550 over Red Mountain Pass. The project, originally planned to pave from mile marker 70 to 83, ultimately extended the paving to the snow gate south of Ouray at mile marker 92. The project has also involved some paving of approaches from county roads and minor widening, extending shoulders by one foot on each side where possible.
During the month of September, work on safety improvements will continue as delineators are installed along the roadside, striping is completed and new snow gates are installed (seven total will be installed, 5 by this project and 2 by Maintenance crews). The new snow gates are designed with the same specifications as railroad crossbars, with the easily visible striped gate (or bar) coming down vertically, as opposed to being swung horizontally.
“One major advantage of the new gates is that they will not have to be dug out of the snow,” CDOT Region 5 Maintenance Superintendent Paul De Julio said. “Several will be lit from above and others will have solar panels on the bars—there is definitely higher visibility.”
Three gates that will be lit by an overhead luminaire (like a street light) will be on US 550 just above the ski area, just south of Silverton near Mineral Creek Bridge, and just north of Silverton about one mile. Gates at four other locations will be installed but may not receive electricity initially (though will be lit by solar panels on the bars) are at the summit near mile markers 79 and 80 (on either side of the rental cabins in that area), at mile marker 87 in north Ironton Park, and at mile marker 92, just south of Ouray.
Finally, CDOT is also installing two new weather stations on the project, one just north of Silverton and one south of the snow shed, near the maintenance monument. The plan is to have at least the one just north of Silverton (near mile marker 70) operational this year so that it can be viewed on the CDOT’s traveler information web site at www.cotrip.org.