Colorado Department of Transportation and contractor Interstate Improvement, Inc., will begin a project to improve the concrete driving surface on U.S. 160 east of Cortez on Monday.
Project activity will then move through Cortez on U.S. 160 and U.S. 491 in June. This preventative maintenance project includes replacing and patching damaged concrete pavement, applying a diamond grinding process to rehabilitate the surface of existing concrete, clearing and re-sealing concrete joints and cracks, a cross-stitching process to strengthen longitudinal cracks in concrete slabs and installing inlaid striping and traffic markings.
“Performing maintenance on the concrete surface of the highway will provide several key benefits to travelers and Colorado taxpayers,” said Kevin Curry, CDOT program engineer. “Not only will the rehabilitation process restore and improve the roadway for mobility and safety, it will also give 15 to 20 more years of life to the existing concrete. The rehabilitation of the concrete will help us avoid reconstruction of the highway, ultimately bringing long-term savings to state taxpayers, for potentially 20 years. A complete rebuild of the highway could likely have cost tens of millions of dollars.”
The project will also upgrade several curb ramps at select intersections to meet mandated standards by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project was contracted to Interstate Improvement for $5 million.
Travel near Durango will be impacted through late July at the U.S. 160 West-U.S. 550 continuous flow intersection. Work on the two-mile concrete section of U.S. 160 will occur during daytime hours. Motorists will encounter single-lane closures on U.S. 160 west of town from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. Weekend work is possible, if necessary to expedite the project’s completion.
Travel impacts in Cortez will occur from early June to late October on U.S. 160 south at County Road G, north/south and including the County Road G intersection. Concrete repairs at the intersection may require some night work. Motorists will encounter single-lane closures from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with weekend work possible. During night work, motorists will encounter single-lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Weekend work is possible.
There will be no work and no travel impacts on Memorial Day weekend, May 28 at noon through June 1, Independence Day, July 2 at noon through July 6, or Labor Day, Sept. 3 at noon through Sept. 7.
For more information on the project, visit www.codot.gov/projects/us-160-cortez-durango-concrete-repairs.
dgladden@durangoherald.com