The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic has thousands of participants in a range of events each year, attracting hundreds to Durango on Memorial Day weekend for gravel and mountain biking, pro races and leisurely rides.
When it comes to the most popular IHBC bike route, a 47-mile uphill climb on U.S. Highway 550 from Durango to Silverton, which takes riders over two mountain passes higher than 10,000 feet in elevation and is ridden by thousands each year, it could be among the most unique in the United States.
Ian Burnett, IHBC director, said to his knowledge the Iron Horse is among the only cycling events in the country that closes a major highway (Highway 550) for rides. Namely, the Coca-Cola Road Race and the McDonald’s Citizen Tour necessitate the closure.
Lisa Schwantes, communication manager for CDOT, could only identify two other Colorado cycling events that necessitated major road closures: The Triple Bypass from Evergreen to Avon that closes U.S. Highway 6 and the Bob Cook Memorial from Idaho Springs to Mt. Evans, which closes of Colorado Highways 5 and 103.
The tradition of closing Highway 550 started in the 1990s, Burnett said. Before then, the event would run while roads were open. But after close calls between cyclists and drivers, the decision to close the road for the events became an easy one.
The road closure is coordinated by the Colorado Department of Transportation, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Flight for Life and other local medical or emergency resources, Burnett said.
“Getting to do that (closure) means we get to provide such an amazing experience for our riders,” he said. “That’s really what brings them back year after year. The safety, the support of law enforcement, CDOT and those things that make it possible.”
Schwantes said the Iron Horse is a “beloved event” that the transportation department looks forward to every year. This year, no planned road paving or other work is scheduled for Highway 550 between Durango and Silverton.
On Wednesday, volunteers attended the first IHBC planning meeting of the year to discuss the road closure, signage for the event, emergency vehicle access for various events and traffic control in Durango. Volunteers discussed securing road sweeping services with CDOT and an increased potential for rockslides, particularly on the western side near Silverton, because of a strong winter and heavy snowfall.
Schwantes said snow removal performed by snow plows during the winter scatters sand across the highway to help vehicles find traction on the slick roads. Maintenance crews will make sure to sweep the road to clear it of debris.
CDOT’s specialized geohazards group will monitor the cliffsides along Highway 550 for any conditions indicative of rockfalls and maintain communication with maintenance crews about any unusual activity, she said.
About 20 volunteers attended the planning meeting on Wednesday, representing area law enforcement, EMS, CDOT, Durango and Silverton special events, Purgatory Resort, La Plata County Mounted Patrol and the Radio Club. Burnett said community participation is the reason the IHBC is able to be held every year.
“To be able to get all these people into one room on a mid-weekday is pretty sweet. So to be able to do that, it means the world. Without the communities we wouldn’t be able to do this,” he said.
Deanne Gallegos, spokeswoman for San Juan County, said Memorial Day weekend brings one of, if not the largest, surges in tourism and foot traffic to Silverton of the summer. Her job during rides is to monitor weather for any adverse events that could interfere with riders and possibly cause a cancellation. If a race or ride is delayed or canceled, she relays the information to business owners in Silverton.
cburney@durangoherald.com
