Wednesday will be a busy day in the summer transportation construction season: Paving will begin on the nine-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 160 between Hesperus and Mancos Hill, and the Santa Rita-South Camino del Rio intersection will get a yellow flashing left-turn signal.
The paving project is of particular note to bicyclists, who will have no shoulder for riding as traffic is routed onto the shoulder so vehicles may continue unimpeded. The speed limit where paving is taking place will be reduced to 40 mph.
“While the Colorado State Patrol strongly supports bicyclists and their legal rights to highway use,” said State Patrol Master Trooper Doug Wiersma, “it’s important we carefully weigh all of the safety factors involved in routing traffic, including bicycles, through some of our construction zones. Cyclists must ride with vehicle traffic or avoid this stretch altogether until paving is complete.”
The paving is scheduled to continue mid-to-late October. It will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting.
“As with any active work zone, no driving or riding behind construction cones is permitted,” Wiersma said. “We ask that motorists exercise patience and caution when driving near cyclists who are sharing the lanes.”
Traffic should flow relatively smoothly, the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a news release. There may be brief traffic stops for moving equipment.
Also on Wednesday, CDOT will be installing its 18th and, it says, final flashing left-turn arrow for side streets intersecting with the U.S. Highway 550/160 corridor.
“Traffic impacts will be minimal during the brief projects,” CDOT said in the release. “During the day, motorists will see crews working on the west-side signal at Santa Rita Park from the raised median, but no lanes will be closed.”
From 6:30 to about 10 p.m., there will be some single-lane closures on Santa Rita Drive at the intersection.
abutler@durangoherald.com
