A section of Florida Road northeast of Durango, which has been closed since May 31 for repairs, was scheduled to reopen about 5 p.m. Tuesday – three days ahead of schedule, according to La Plata County government.
In an email to The Durango Herald, county spokesman Ted Holteen said the county manager approved overtime pay for the contracting company Myers and Sons to get the job completed as soon as possible.
Contractors worked the first weekend of the project, and Holteen said the road would have opened a couple of days earlier but there was a delay with the guardrails, which were the final part of the replacement.
The Florida Road closure created significant delays for residents of Los Ranchitos, Aspen Trails and Tween Lakes subdivisions, among others.
“Its been a real pain,” said Skip Vaughan who lives below Lemon Reservoir and has been making detours through Bayfield to commute to Durango.
“My trip is usually 13.6 miles, and the detour is 31.5 miles each way,” he said.
John Debbink, a resident of Aspen Trails subdivision said he has been limiting his trips into town to the necessities: work and groceries.
“I haven’t been doing much in town as far as entertainment because it takes so much longer,” he said. “It’s pretty much the same for my neighbors.”
La Plata County acknowledged the inconvenience the road closure caused residents and thanked them for their patience while simultaneously reinforcing the fact that the repairs were necessary for motorists’ safety.
“We’re going to be really pleased to have the bridge back in operation,” Vaughan said.
lveress@durangoherald.com
