Dear Action Line: I am flying out of Durango-La Plata airport at the end of August. My travel agent was puzzled that she couldn’t get me back to Durango on Sept. 11. She can only get me to Albuquerque. I found a Herald article saying the airport will be closed in September for about 10 days for runway work. Do they have any plans for transportation to and from there, like from Farmington? I don’t want to leave my car there for several weeks and not be able to get back to it. I will have to rent a car in Albuquerque. – Noé Holm
Dear Noé: Action Line is stunned at this question. What is a “travel agent”? Is that like an undercover spy who flies on planes to root out the bad guys (especially on auspicious dates like Sept. 11)?
Turns out, in the old days people went into offices specifically set up to help travelers book flights and trains and hotels and such. Turns out these “travel agents” made these reservations for you.
It also turns out that Action Line can be rude to nice people who are asking legitimate questions. So how about a real answer?
To back up a bit, everyone should understand that Durango-La Plata has one runway, and at some point it needs to be repaved. All flights are being suspended from Sept. 7 to Sept. 16. That’s after the big tourist season, after college students are settled in, after peak wildfire season and before the weather turns nasty.
Airport Director Tony Vicari said that during the repaving project, runway lights will be replaced with energy-efficient LED lights, and other minor airport repairs and improvements will be completed.
“There is truly no good time to close a runway at a one-runway airport, but this critical project is necessary to ensure that safe and uninterrupted airport operations can continue at DRO for many years before additional runway maintenance is required,” Vicari said.
So, to finally answer the question (why does this always take Action Line SO long?), no, the airport is not running special shuttles or anything during these 10 days. You’re on your own.
Keep in mind that you can fly out of or into Cortez, which has regular flights to Denver. Or to Albuquerque as Noé is doing, or even to Montrose. If you can make it to Cortez, just have a really good friend pick you up there; they’ll love it if you treat them to a nice lunch at Arby’s. That’s what the unfailingly generous and classy Action Line would do.
A limo or cab service, or Uber, might work from Cortez too, but might be $150 or so (real rough estimate). Farmington’s airport no longer offers commercial flights. If you really want to take a shuttle from Albuquerque to Farmington, one company charges $209. Ouch.
Walking from Albuquerque to Durango would take about five days if you don’t stop very long to sleep. A bicycle would get you back in two days if you’re in tip-top shape, but there’s the problem of finding a bike to ride.
Are we coming to the conclusion here that there are no good options?
Vicari suggested juggling your trip dates, and noted that most airlines have dropped change fees since the onset of the pandemic.
“I would encourage this traveler to call the airport administration office at (970) 382-6051 with any further questions.”
The story about the former area of Durango known as Santa Rita drew several comments, both to Action Line and online. Most of the feedback was positive. It remains a sensitive subject because its demise occurred recently enough that many locals lived there or had parents or other relatives who grew up there.
The Colorado Department of Highways did do some work in helping relocate residents before building the highway, and one former employee wanted to make sure the impression wasn’t left that nothing was done.
“I worked in the summer of 1972 for the Colorado Department of Highways in the relocation program,” Carl Watson wrote to Action Line. “We assisted 12 families that were living in the area at the time to find new housing. Most were relocated to the area around the Sacred Heart church.”
This program was mandated by the Federal Highway Administration and carried out by what’s now the Colorado Department of Transportation.
“They also received rental supplements for a period of time,” Watson said. “They were not left to their own devices.”
Efforts are underway to document more of the history of Santa Rita – “The Flats,” as it was sometimes called – and Action Line is hopeful this work continues.
Email questions and suggestions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. The runway is 9,201 feet long, basically 1.75 miles, or approximately the distance from the train depot to Durango High School. Note: Don’t try to land an airplane between the depot and DHS.
