US 50 Blue Mesa Bridge Update
Overview
A safety closure is in place for a bridge on US Highway 50 located west of Gunnison. The Colorado Department of Transportation has closed the bridge at the urging of the Federal Highway Administration and state bridge engineering experts due to the findings of an ongoing safety inspection, which identified anomalies in the bridge on Thursday, April 18. The closure is in place between US 50 Mile Point 131 (intersection with Colorado Highway 92) and MP 138. Motorists should use COtrip.org to plan an alternate route. There is currently no estimated time for reopening as of Wednesday, May 1. Updates will be made to this website once an estimate is available.
Recommended Alternate Routes for US 50
This closure will create a significant detour for commuters between Montrose and Gunnison. The recommended detour route for through traffic is via I-70 to the north or US 160 to the south. Access the recommended detour route on COtrip here. CDOT understands the inconvenience that this creates and is rapidly evaluating options to improve options for residents, businesses, and travelers on the western slope.
The northern route is 354 miles and requires approximately six hours of travel time. The southern route is 331 miles and requires nearly seven hours of travel time. CDOT and local partners are exploring whether it is feasible at this point in the season to clear local seasonal routes that may be able to significantly reduce the detour time for local travelers.
Local Access Route for Gunnison, Hinsdale and Montrose counties
Pilot cars will lead passenger vehicles through CR 26 two times a day in each direction. Travel time through the access route is expected to be 30 minutes or more.
- Westbound travel - 6:30 to 7 a.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m.
- Eastbound travel - 7:30 to 8 a.m. and 7:30 to 8 p.m.
- Currently all drivers that are in the queue at these designated times are being let through (unless their vehicle is overweight or hauling a trailer).
County Road 26 will only be open for travel during these timeframes, however, starting on Friday, May 3, CR 26 will be open four times a day for local travel between Gunnison and Montrose counties. To learn more about the new timeframes view the English fact sheet or the Spanish fact sheet. The road will remain closed at all other times for the ongoing restoration work needed to ensure the road remains safe for travel.
- No trailers of any type will be allowed, and the local access route will not be open to commercial vehicles in excess of 16,000 GVWR.
- Prohibited vehicles will need to use detours on I-70 or Colorado Highway 160 to travel between Gunnison and Montrose.
Pilot Car Queue
- The queue for westbound travel will start near the intersection of CO 149 and CR 26
- The queue for eastbound travel will start near the intersection of US 50 and CR 26
Frequently Asked Questions
This is an evolving situation, and there is currently no reopening date. CDOT’s goal is to keep nearby residents and the public informed and will provide updates as they develop.
This route is intended for essential trips such as doctor's appointments, school, work, etc. It is not meant for recreational and/or non-local travel. Driver licenses and vehicle plates will not be used to determine eligibility. While CDOT's detour crews trust that drivers will honor the guidelines of the detour, they reserve the right to turn any vehicle away that is not using the detour as stated above.
County Road 26 is not open to heavy commercial or recreational vehicles. Trailers of any type are not allowed, and the local access route is not open to commercial vehicles in excess of 16,001 GVWR. Prohibited vehicles will need to use detours on I-70 or Colorado Highway 160 to travel between Gunnison and Montrose.
Gunnison County is currently working through these various community needs. People with post office boxes can travel to the post office during the regular open hours for County Road 26. The Postmasters have been notified and they don’t anticipate any disruptions to mail delivery. If anyone does experience a problem with mail service, Senator Hickenlooper’s office is helping and people can visit www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/help-with-federal-agencies-form/. Propane is available on both sides of the closure so that shouldn’t be an issue. For trash collected on the east side of the closure for transport to Grand Junction, please contact the County to use the Gunnison landfill. For all other questions, like whether or not trash haulers can access residences on County Roads 25 and 26, please reach out to the project email at [email protected].
Kebler Pass is currently closed due to winter conditions and typically opens in late May. CDOT is working to potentially clear the roadway for use.
HazMat drivers should check with CDOT’s freight office when choosing between the recommended alternate routes (I-70 and US 160). The freight office can be reached at 303-757-9539 or [email protected]. More information is posted to freight.colorado.gov. HazMat vehicles will not be allowed on any local alternate routes available now or in the coming weeks.
Currently, there are no restrictions against boaters driving under the bridge, but please refrain from stopping right under the bridge where inspectors are working above. This could pose a safety risk should a piece of equipment fall from the bridge. CDOT’s concern is vehicles driving on the bridge. The bridge is structurally sound as it stands and does not impact boaters.
This bridge was built in 1963 and was last inspected 22 months ago as part of the standard federal rules for all bridges. It was in the early stages of a special inspection for bridges with a specific type of steel and construction that a safety issue was discovered.
The closure point on the Gunnison side has been moved further west to provide access to places like the Bay of Chickens and Elk Creek Marina. Likewise for people on the Montrose side of the reservoir they will be able to access the Lake Fork Marina and recreation areas on that end. When you approach flaggers at the closure point, just let them know that is where you are going and they will let you through. To get to the east side of recreation areas from Montrose and west side recreation areas from Gunnison, people will need to take the County Road 26 cut-through during the set hours of pilot car operations.
County Road 25 is not open to vehicle traffic, and currently, there are no plans to open this road to traffic. Opening day is typically May 15, but it doesn’t always open depending on heavy snow years or mud issues. CDOT will be assessing whether or not it can open the road, but no timeline has been established.
Multiple agencies are coordinating on this issue, and we are putting together a list of everyone who is need of livestock transport. If you would like to be added to the list for updates once the team knows more, please email the project at [email protected].
This is an ever-changing situation and right now we are unsure when we will know more. Kiewit Construction started remediation work on County Road 26 on Tuesday, April 23. We are considering adding additional travel time windows on CR 26, but it will depend on how soon they can make enough progress on improving this road. There are no plans to pave County Road 26, and larger vehicles will not be allowed to use it.
If you have a question regarding any type of emergency services, please reach out to the project email at [email protected], and we will direct you to the correct person. If you have an emergency, dial 911.
Given the declaration of a state emergency, we have activated the state’s recovery task force to coordinate the capacity of various state agencies to address the economic impacts for agriculture, tourism and other impacted economies in the county. The effort will begin with an assessment of the economy by working in collaboration with the impacted jurisdictions and then work with state agencies to find opportunities. Legislation that may be applicable and appropriate to these circumstances was passed two years ago. We will work with the appropriate parties for solutions.
CDOT is continuing to inspect the bridge to find any further cracks or anomalies. More have been found since the original closure on April 18. Engineering teams are reviewing repair options, so that repairs to the bridge can begin as quickly and safely as possible. CDOT is working with contractor Kiewit Infrastructure Co., to assist with the bridge inspections and repairs, as well as improvements to County Road 26 (Lake City Cutoff), to allow limited local traffic around the road closure.
There is one other bridge in the state that uses the same steel and construction, just a few miles west on US 50. CDOT is continuing to inspect both bridges, and the results of those inspections will determine next steps.
Key Facts:
- CDOT has been conducting a special inspection for high-strength steel bridges for the Blue Mesa bridges as required by the Federal Highway Administration. This inspection was required because of known issues with similarly constructed bridges elsewhere in the country. A defect was observed during an early investigation of the bridge at approximately Mile Point 136.3. CDOT immediately brought in a second inspection crew with resources to perform another method for testing whether the defect posed a safety hazard on the bridge. The second inspection took place on Thursday, April 18.
- CDOT is continuing to assess the safety of the bridge and to quickly determine options for interim and permanent fixes – and will keep the public informed as soon as more information is available. The bridge closure is located between Gunnison and Montrose. It is located east of the US 50 Little Blue Creek Canyon project, which is currently in a planned winter shutdown.
- Once our inspection plans are finalized and we can more accurately forecast a time frame to complete that work, we will be able to follow up with additional information for the public about the duration of this closure. As more of the inspection work is complete, we will also have more details to share about the condition of the bridges, as well as any restrictions that will need to remain in place while repairs are made.
