US 160 Wolf Creek Pass Fiber & Safety Systems

About the Project

On May 23, the Colorado Department of Transportation, in partnership with Paonia, Inc., began to install fiber optic cable and additional dynamic safety signage on US 160 between Pagosa Springs and the east side of Wolf Creek Pass. The project is currently closed for winter shutdown. The work will resume in early July 2024.

This project was made possible, in part, through a $4.4 million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant awarded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The fiber optic cable will connect with existing fiber that was installed in 2017 along a 16-mile stretch of the US 160 mountain corridor from Wolf Creek Pass east tunnel to the community of South Fork.

The project will also include the installation of new and upgraded dynamic signs that will provide additional safety and warning messages to all Wolf Creek Pass travelers regarding road and weather conditions, lowered speeds and the west-side hairpin turn.

Project Benefits

• The electrical and fiber project upgrades will benefit surrounding communities, travelers, emergency service providers, and CDOT’s traveler information systems by connecting new and existing equipment to the power and fiber backbone.
• The project will add in-pavement detection systems to detect longer loads and communicate with dynamic speed limit signs to provide additional safety for travelers.
• The project will upgrade the westbound US 160 downhill speed warning system at MP 167.34 approaching the west-side hairpin curve.

Work Schedule

• The project is in winter shutdown and is scheduled to resume at the beginning of July 2024.

Traffic Impacts

• The project is expected to resume in spring 2024.  No traffic impacts at this time.