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U.S. 50 near Montrose could partially reopen to traffic by July 4 as repairs to a damaged bridge over the Blue Mesa Reservoir begin, transportation officials announced Wednesday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and Kiewit Infrastructure announced an official repair plan for the bridge that includes four main areas, according to a CDOT news release.
During inspections over the past month, inspectors identified 118 defects in four main areas on the Blue Mesa Reservoir bridge, CDOT officials said. Once the initial surface cracks are repaired during phase one of the bridge’s restoration, limited traffic may be able to return to the bridge.
If the first phase of initial repairs is completed in time and not delayed by weather, emergency vehicles and lighter-load cars will be allowed back on the bridge in July, while more permanent repairs are completed, transportation officials said.
Full loads will not be allowed back on the bridge until permanent repairs are completed, which is slated for fall of 2024, the release stated.
Transportation officials shut down the section of U.S. 50 between Montrose and Gunnison in mid-April after discovering one of the bridge’s steel girders had a 3- to 4-inch crack. Officials said the closure was based on advice from the Federal Highway Administration and state bridge engineering experts.
The closure is causing detours of up to seven hours. Drivers can take a six-hour, 354-mile detour north via Interstate 70 or a seven-hour, 331-mile detour north via U.S. 160c.
Starting Monday, a limited, local access route via County Road 26 will open every day except for Wednesday for seven releases in each direction, officials said Tuesday. Traffic will be managed using pilot vehicles and travelers should use the other established detour routes whenever possible.
Phase two of the repair plan requires more time to complete and can be performed safely in between bridge traffic, officials said. Secondary safety inspections will continue and help further confirm structural integrity during the repair process.
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