Trips to and from Crested Butte will require a little more planning next year. Starting in 2020, Highway 50 Construction will impact travel between Gunnison and Montrose. The almost four mile section between mile points 123 and 127 has seen a high number of accidents over the past decade. This has prompted the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to implement plans for improvement. These improvements include realignment, widening, guardrail replacement, new signage and striping. The project is being divided into two segments and is slated to begin in the spring or early summer of 2020.
While the project is estimated to take about two years to complete, it could extend to three. The first year we can expect two 4-hour closures on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The road will also be closed overnight from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Weekend travel will be open to two-way traffic starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday through 8:30 a.m. Monday.
In the second year of the project, U.S. Highway 50 will remain open for single-lane traffic on weekdays and two-lane travel on weekends. Should the project go into a third year, travel restrictions will be similar to what is planned for the second year.
To learn more about the U.S. Highway 50 construction project and planned road closures, click here. For more information on Crested Butte events, festivals, news and real estate, please visit crestedbuttecollection.com.