Rockfall Update - US 550 Red Mountain Pass

OURAY COUNTY – Today crews installed nine rockfall netting panels on the debris field—yesterday they installed eight (not nine). They expect to install seven tomorrow for a total 24, which is now the estimated amount needed. A good deal of the rock debris below the netting has been brought down each day, creating a more stable slope.

“It’s amazing the transformation of that slope,” said CDOT Maintenance Area Supervisor Vance Kelso. “It’s completely different than the first days of this slide.”

With inclement weather expected to move in on Wednesday (up to 16.5 inches is forecasted for Red Mountain Pass), crews will work to complete the slope-side netting tomorrow and determine what work, if any, can be accomplished the following day. Once all netting is placed, rockfall crews can better determine any necessary follow-up mitigation on the slope and adjacent to the roadway. US 550 is likely to remain closed at least through the week; more can be estimated after the netting is complete and the storm moves through.

“I’m very proud of this team—for both their progress and their attention to safety,” said Greg Stacy, incident commander and CDOT deputy maintenance superintendent for the Durango section.

UPDATED INFORMATION:  Briefs and photos are posted on CDOT’s Media Room page athttp://www.coloradodot.info/news/media-room.html and full press releases, which have been issued each night after the end-of-day briefing meeting, are posted at:  http://www.coloradodot.info/news/statewide-news.

ALTERNATE ROUTE & INFORMATION: Travelers will use the following highways for an alternate route:  SH 62, SH 145 and US 160. For information on other CDOT projects, the public may call 511 or log onto CDOT’s traveler information web site at www.cotrip.org. Better yet, sign up to receive email and/or text messages by going to CDOT’s web site at www.coloradodot.info and choosing the green phone icon in the upper right corner.