GUNNISON COUNTY, Colo. — A bridge that crosses Blue Mesa Reservoir will reopen, on a limited capacity, ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said on Thursday.
The US 50 Middle Bridge has been closed to all vehicles since April after inspections showed "cracking," leading to safety concerns.
While the bridge will reopen at 6:30 a.m. on July 3, motorists need to be aware that only certain vehicles will be allowed to cross at certain times.
The permitted vehicles are:
- passenger vehicles
- pickup trucks
- vans
- motorcycles
- emergency vehicles
From Wednesday, July 3 to Sunday, July 7, one lane of the bridge will be open, and pilot cars will lead drivers between 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Starting on Monday, July 8, drivers in approved vehicles will be able to cross, with a pilot car leading, between 6:30-8:30 a.m., and 4:30-6:30 p.m. only.
Drivers in RV/campers, motorhomes, semis, buses, and trucks towing trailers, boats, campers or side-by-sides will be required to use the current detour route on County Road 26, CDOT said.
"We continue to work towards completing needed repairs ahead of winter," CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said. "Over the course of the holiday weekend, the bridge will be open for 12 hours a day, which we hope encourages tourism in this area as these communities are still very much open for business. Starting on July 8, we will settle into a twice-a-day opening schedule to allow crews to continue to work on repairs throughout the day."
CDOT said crews completed the first stage of repairs on the bridge's bottom flange, the horizontal part of an l-shaped beam. The repairs were aimed at the areas that were deemed to be an imminent risk to the bridge's structural integrity.
US 50 connects Gunnison to the east of the reservoir to Montrose on the west.
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