State highway officials facing an “emergency need” to reopen Colorado 133 — the McClure Pass linking Glenwood Springs with Paonia and Montrose — are building a temporary bridge.
The highway could open by Monday, Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced Thursday morning.
The work includes pouring concrete that would have to dry — likely “determinative of when the bridge is safe to drive,” officials said in a news release.
Building a bridge typically takes four months, officials said, “but crews are expediting due to the emergency need to reopen CO 133 as soon as possible.”
Flooding from Bear Creek around May 2 forced the closure of McClure Pass near Somerset. A sinkhole that formed in the highway expanded.
Once this bridge is opened, drivers can anticipate highway workers with flags enforcing a lowered speed limit of 40 miles per hour, CDOT officials said. Truck traffic will be limited to vehicles weighing less than 85,000 pounds and less than 11 feet wide.
Residents of the area and business owners can communicate via a project information hotline, 970-279-3309, or email at CO133CulvertRepair@gmail.com. For travelers, CDOT officials pointed to alternate routes using U.S. 50 and Interstate 70.
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