CDOT to complete final phase of U.S. 160 improvement project south of Cortez, near Towaoc

News Release

April 7, 2020 - Southwestern Colorado - Final work items include: shoulder work, earth work, seeding and mulching

Montezuma County - The Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor Oldcastle SW Group resumed work this week, to complete final earth work, soft shoulder work, seeding and mulching along U.S. Highway 160 south of Cortez, near Towaoc. Through April, weather permitting, motorists can expect some intermittent, single-lane closures and/or shoulder closures where roadside work areas are present, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Travel delays are anticipated to be very minimal. Motorists are urged to go “Slow for the Cone Zone,” and avoid all distractions while driving through the work areas. Work is expected to be completed by the end of the month. 

Project Details

Major reconstruction of U.S. 160/U.S. 491 began in the spring of 2019, to provide safety features and widen the highway north of Towaoc, adding two passing lanes, shoulder improvements, vehicle turnouts and access improvements. In March 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe a $2 million TIGER grant to help pay for the $11.2 million project. 

Project Information

Those with questions or comments can write to us160.491passinglanes@gmail.com or call 970-749-3579.

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COVID-19

Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, construction continues on CDOT projects with social distancing and other measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. Gov. Polis issued an emergency, temporary stay-at-home order for all of Colorado, which went into effect Thursday, March 26. With this order, the public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO and avoid all nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely.

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System. Whole Safety. initiative. This campaign takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behavior, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving safety conditions for those traveling by all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission - to get everyone home safely.