County readies for summer construction, traffic

Preps Jack’s Cabin for detour use, works to open Kebler

Jack’s Cabin Cut-off opened last week and almost as quickly Gunnison County is closing the road for the installation of guardrails and cement barriers and the relocation of fiber optic cables by CenturyLink. The closure will take place this Thursday and Friday, May 16-17.
The work is in preparation for a construction project on Taylor River Road that will use Jack’s Cabin Cut-off as a detour throughout the summer.

“We’re also putting in a new culvert and have already replaced several cattle guards on Jack’s Cabin to make travel easier during construction,” said Gunnison County public works director Marlene Crosby.
Construction on Taylor River Road is slated to begin Tuesday, May 28 and will continue through the summer.
In other county road news, crews began clearing snow from Kebler Pass last week. They made it to Splains Gulch before the amount of snow and ice and recurring snow forced a halt to the operation.
“There was four feet of packed ice and snow from the snowmobile and cat traffic up there, but with the nicer weather we’ll work on getting back up there soon,” said Crosby. “We’re hoping for Memorial Day for an opening, but we’re not making promises. I can promise the Fourth of July.”
For more information about the Taylor River Road project, or about county road closures and maintenance, visit Gunnison County’s Department of Public Works at http://www.gunnisoncounty.org/public_works_road_bridge.html.