Wolf Creek Pass to close Wednesday morning for winter maintenance operations

Posted

Colorado Department of Transportation

Travelers should expect closures on multiple mountain passes across the region for the remainder of the week.

U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass east of Pagosa Springs

U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass will close tomorrow morning, Wednesday, March 22, at 6 a.m. so that crews can perform winter maintenance operations. Maintenance operations will last for much of the morning, the exact time of reopening the highway is not known.

Westbound traffic will be stopped just west of the ski area at the pass summit (MP 167) and eastbound traffic will be stopped near Treasure Falls (MP 157). Do not attempt to bypass the closed gates. Maintenance operations will last for much of the morning, the exact time of reopening the highway is not known.

The National Weather Service predicts 4 feet of new snow accumulation over parts of the U.S. 550 mountain corridor and approximately 6 feet near U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass by late Thursday.

U.S. 550 between Purgatory and Ouray will close at 5 p.m. tonight due to dangerous driving conditions.

Southwest and south-central Colorado— With heavy snow accumulation and high-wind gusts forecasted throughout the San Juan Mountain Range, the Colorado Department of Transportation warns travelers of closures set to occur on multiple mountain passes for the remainder of the week. Motorists are encouraged to frequently visit COtrip.org for the latest information on road closures and conditions prior to traveling.

Additional maintenance work and safety closures may be implemented this week on many southwest & south-central Colorado highways as crews perform winter maintenance operations and avalanche mitigation.

U.S. 550 Mountain Corridor north of Durango

CDOT will implement a safety closure this evening for U.S. 550 north of Purgatory ski area to Ouray, due to adverse weather conditions and high avalanche danger forecasted through Thursday. The highway is set to close at 5 p.m. on Tues., March 21 with no estimated time or day of reopening. The closure includes all three mountain passes — Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain. The corridor will likely remain closed for the duration of the storm system and is necessary to ensure safety for motorists.

Northbound travelers will encounter a closed gate just north of Purgatory, near Cascade Creek (MP 52). Southbound travelers will encounter a closed gate at Ouray (MP 92). Do not attempt to bypass the closed gates. Crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to perform winter maintenance operations for the remainder of the week.

Know before you go
Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:
Road conditions and travel information: COtrip.org
Download the COtrip Planner app: bit.ly/COtripapp
Sign up for project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COnewsalerts