Colorado Department of Transportation and Elam Construction will conduct two road-improvement projects this summer on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango, including a chip-seal operation starting Wednesday and a rumble strip installation starting mid-June.

The chip-seal project will start Wednesday and continue through early July on U.S. Highway 550 between the County Road 250 and Electra Lake Road intersections. The highway surface will be improved; a new southbound passing lane will be added; and a new southbound left-turn lane will be added at the Rockwood subdivision.

From mid-June to early July, a new center-line rumble strip – grooves cut into the pavement to alert drivers of the double-yellow line – will be installed on U.S. Highway 550 from Red Mountain Pass to Colona. Work will not be conducted in the Ouray town limits.

Both locations on the highway will receive new lane striping.

Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers will encounter single-lane closures with intermittently alternating traffic in both directions as work is conducted.

Closures will cause 10- to 30-minute delays through the work area, and traffic will be guided by a pilot car. Also, the speed limit will be reduced to 40 miles per hour and fines will be doubled in the construction zone.

CDOT urges travelers to slow down, maintain increased distances between vehicles, use caution and follow signs. Bicyclists and motorcyclists should use extreme caution while work is being conducted.

For more information and updates, call the project information hotline at 317-4354, email the project team at alertroadinfo@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/2kod1UG.

fstone@durangoherald.com