The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Taking a break for USA Pro Cycling Challenge
If you’re heading over Cottonwood Pass or down to Harmel’s for some climbing, be forewarned: You’ll hit some summer construction. The Federal Highway Administration is rebuilding an eight-mile stretch of Taylor River Road between the Summerville trailhead and the Almont post office. For this summer and fall, that will mean probable delays for those heading over Cottonwood.
Marlene Crosby, director of Gunnison County Department of Public Works, says the project has been a long time coming to the lower reaches of Taylor Canyon Road, first envisioned in the early 1980s after the Chaffee County side of Cottonwood Pass was paved. Since then, the traffic coming through Taylor Canyon has been on the rise.
Patching potholes went only so far with the county, which has seen the Taylor Canyon section of Forest Service highway between Buena Vista and Almont put on the table for consideration, only to see it taken off again. Finally, the FHA, prioritizing projects that most serve public lands users, started work in Taylor Canyon this spring.
“The plan is to straighten and widen so it’s stronger and more suitable for the traffic volume that depends on it right now,” said Doug Hecox, spokesperson for the FHA.
With the timeline tightened by the short construction season, work will have time to stop for only one day while the USA Pro Cycling Challenge rolls through the canyon in August.
Crosby says, “Obviously the road will be still be under construction at that time and the Pro Challenge knows that.
Hopefully, we can have gravel instead of rock surfacing material on those areas and crews will not work the day of the race.”
Crews from United Companies are also making repairs and improvements to water drainage along the road. The snowmelt needs to go somewhere, and by letting it go under the road, the road will last longer and lead to fewer repairs. It’s a badly needed project,” Hecox says.
Crosby adds, “We’re just trying to work together to get the project done on time and make it the best experience it can be for the riders.”
Construction is expected to end by November, and drivers should expect periodic delays of up to 30 minutes.
