US 160 to be newly paved from the Four Corners to Aztec Creek

Travel Advisory

April 15, 2022 - Southwestern Colorado

Montezuma County — The Colorado Department of Transportation will begin resurfacing work next week on April 18 along US Highway 160 from the Four Corners to Aztec Creek. A&S Construction Company of Canyon City is the contractor for this $22 million project. The anticipated completion date is in early 2023.

The resurfacing project will take place on US 160 for 9 miles from approximately Mile Point 470, at the Arizona/New Mexico state line, through northwest New Mexico, and into Colorado to MP 8 at Aztec Creek. US 160 in the regional southwest is an important highway for area residents, the freight industry and visitors to regional recreational attractions and the Four Corners Monument.

CDOT has collaborated with several agency partners on this project, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Navajo Nation and the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The resurfacing work will take place on almost eight miles of US 160 located on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation in southwestern Colorado, and on an additional one-mile section of US 160 located within the northwestern corner of the state of New Mexico.

“The new passing lanes will contribute to safer driving conditions and help with crash reductions while the wider shoulders will provide additional recovery space. Safe, well maintained shoulder areas provide a stable, clear recovery area for drivers who have veered off the travel lane,” said CDOT Regional Transportation Director Julie Constan.

Work will include a full depth reclamation and reconstruction of the highway. All layers of the roadway will be pulverized and reused in a new hot mix asphalt paving. Other aspects of the project include shoulder widening, the construction of additional passing lanes and acceleration/deceleration lanes at the CO Highway 41 junction. Crews will also perform bridge maintenance, culvert repairs, new pavement markings and signing.

The project includes the installation of new guardrail that will be 31 inches high, designed to meet new safety standard requirements. The higher railing will help veering vehicles remain on the road more effectively, making the highway safer for the traveling public. The former standard height of guardrail was 27 inches.

Travel Impacts

Motorists should plan for:

  • Daytime work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • One-lane alternating traffic guided by traffic control during construction hours and a portable light signal, 24/7, day and night including weekends for bridge repair work
    20-minute delays
  • 11-foot width restriction
  • Reduced speed limit throughout the work-zone

Project Information

For additional information about this project, contact the project team: