Red Mountain Pass temporarily closed Friday while Colorado Department of Transportation crews conducted a test of its avalanche equipment for half a day.

The closure occurred about 8:30 a.m. Friday while CDOT’s master gunner and crews worked with military guns used by the department for avalanche mitigation, said CDOT spokeswoman Nancy Shanks.

During the closure of the pass, CDOT crews established shots for its new 105 Howitzer launch pad prompting the closures on U.S. Highway 550 north between mile markers 71 and 91. Lanes were closed both way for safety reasons, she said.

The roads reopened at around 1:30 p.m.

Shanks said the crews needed to establish the shots atop the pass so they would be prepared when the time came for avalanche control.

“We can’t do this on a day when it’s snowing,” she said. “It was a perfect day for this kind of work.”

CDOT also closed Wolf Creek Pass last month for about half a day to conduct similar work, she said.

vguthrie@durangoherald.com