US 160 Rest Area Truck Parking Enhancements

About the Project

Starting on Mon., April 6, 2020, the Colorado Department of Transportation and contract partner Four Corners Materials will begin rest area tuck parking enhancements at two locations on U.S. Highway 160. The Sleeping Ute Rest Area at mile point 46.46, east of Cortez, will increase parking from three commercial motor vehicle (CMV) parking spaces to six and the Shaw Creek Rest area at MP 191.40, east of South Fork, will increase from four CMV spaces to 10.

Work Includes

Work will consist of erosion control, widening of the existing truck parking areas, asphalt patching, chip seal, striping, and lighting upgrades that consist of new poles and luminaries with improved technology and lower energy use.

Project Benefits

As part of CDOT’s Whole System - Whole Safety initiative, this project will focus on safety enhancements to the Sleeping Ute Rest Area and Shaw Creek Rest Area to provide clearly defined locations for CMV parking. When Wolf Creek Pass is impassible or closed due to either weather, accidents, rockfalls, avalanches or other emergencies that arise, the expansion at Shaw Creek Rest Area will provide parking off the highway for CMVs and will reduce truck traffic in city limits, on local streets, or in areas that are difficult to maneuver.
The additional CMV parking spaces in the Sleeping Ute Rest Area will also allow for clearly defined CMV parking, providing passenger
vehicles to flow through the rest area preventing potential encounters with the parked trucks.

Proposed Work Schedule

• The project will be in operation Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with an anticipated completion date at the end of June 2020.

Traffic Impacts

• Motorists can expect construction crews present and working at the rest areas beginning April 6, with closures of the rest area for chip sealing towards the end of the project, possibly in May or June.