Gunnison opens locals-only U.S. 50 detour

Colorado state officials closed the “Middle Bridge” that crosses Blue Mesa Reservoir on April 18 after state engineers found a crack in the steel. The closure, west of Gunnison, is located between mile marker 131 (the intersection with Colo. 92) and mile marker 138, near the Dillon Pinnacles hiking trail.

As of April 20, CDOT has not announced a timeline for repairs. 

The agency closed the section of U.S. 50 at the urging of the Federal Highway Administration, after inspection teams found the crack. The structural integrity of the bridge is sufficient enough that officials say boats can continue to pass underneath it. However, it’s severe enough that CDOT pulled inspection crews off the bridge pending further investigation, CDOT Chief Engineer Keith Stefanik said.

The closure cuts off the main thoroughfare that connects Gunnison to its Western Slope counterparts. Recreationists, truckers and people who travel to Montrose or Grand Junction for medical treatment, like dialysis or radiation, are facing a six- to seven-hour detour. At this time, the Lake City cutoff (County Road 26), Blue Mesa cutoff (County Road 25) and Alpine Plateau Road to Arrowhead are not open for detours.

The recommended detour route is via 1-70 to the north through Vail – 354 miles and six hours of travel – or U.S. 160 to the south through Pagosa Springs – 331 miles and nearly seven hours of travel. 

The impacts of the closure will be widespread, especially as the Gunnison Valley gears up for its busy tourism season. Many businesses in the valley get supply deliveries through the U.S. 50 corridor from the west. When CDOT closed the bridge on April 18, several long-haul truckers piled up at the turn-around and were forced to reroute.

One local detour available

As of April 21, according to Denver’s 9News, “Gunnison County Emergency Management posted Sunday afternoon that County Road 26, also known as Lake City cutoff, will be open two times daily each way for locals-only use. The reason for the locals-only designation is that the road is a high mountain native surface rod that is not built to take on existing Highway 50 traffic levels.” 

9News reported that from 6-6:3 a.m. and 6-6:30 p.m. pilot vehicles will escort westbound drivers starting at County Roads 149 and 26. From 7-7:30 a.m. and 7-7:30 p.m., pilot vehicles will escort eastbound traffic starting at U.S. 50 and County Road 26. 

Motorists should not call 911 or dispatch about the road closure. Up-to-date information is available on the Gunnison Regional 911 Facebook page. CDOT is setting up a dedicated website for the project, which will contain up-to-date information and additional background on T-1 steel and similarly built bridges. For now, call 970-648-4423 or email US50bridge@gmail.com.

This is a shortened version of a story posted to the Gunnison Country Times on April 20. Updated information about the detour was sourced from 9News.