Replacement of a 85-year-old bridge over the Middle Fork of the South Platte River along Colorado Highway 9 near Alma will result in traffic impacts, including a weeklong closure next month, the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a news release.
The full closure at the base of Hoosier Pass, north of Alma between Park County roads 4 and 6, is expected to begin at 6 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, and continue through 6 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 14.
“It’s going to create for a long detour,” Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson Bob Wilson said. “There are very few people that will be able to get through that area. Most will have to use the big long detour.”
Motorists traveling between Summit County and Park County will be required to detour through Buena Vista and Leadville, taking U.S. Highway 285, U.S. Highway 24, Colorado Highway 91 and Interstate 70, according to the transportation department.
The detour is about 120 additional miles from Fairplay to Summit County. Wilson said drivers from Fairplay area should expect close to a two-hour drive to Summit County on the detour.
An alternate detour route will be available over County Roads 4 and 6 for local residents who live at the subdivision near the closure and emergency services, Wilson said. The Summit Stage will also be running through the alternate detour, but otherwise the detour route, which travels through a residential area, will be closed to the general public, he said.
The Summit Stage’s Park County commuter route, as well as the Blue River commuter route, could be impacted by the weeklong closure, according to Summit County transit director Chris Lubbers. The Park County commuter route averages 26,000 boardings a year, indicating that the route is an important connection between the two counties, Lubbers said.
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“We feel pretty good about what they’ve asked us and the rest of traffic to do,” Lubbers said. “We have high hopes and don’t have any concerns, not to say something like that for seven days could take folks longer than they or we want it to.”
The Summit Stage will adjust as needed, Lubbers said, including potentially bringing on extra resources to mitigate delays to the transit route during the closure.
Travel between Summit County and Fairplay will be detoured through Buena Vista and Leadville next month during the weeklong closure of Colorado Highway 9 north of Alma. Summit Daily News wants to hear from readers who will be impacted by this closure. If your travel plans or daily commute will be affected by the closure, please reach out to rspencer@summitdaily.com.
The seven-day full closure is necessary to allow the contractor to get in and out of the area in minimum time, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Keeping the highway open would require approximately 90 days of one-lane alternating traffic according to the news release.
The closure will also decrease project costs and reduce impacts to wetlands, wildlife habitat and migration patterns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Prior to the closure, the transportation department conducted outreach to various local agencies and organizations to coordinate with all impacted communities, the release states.
“We thought the best way is to tear the bandaid off all at once,” Wilson said, “take care of it in one full swoop and close the highway for one week only.”
During the closure, Wilson said, the Summit Stage may be a good option for those who typically commute between Park County and Summit County by car.