Cottonwood Pass could see major upgrades from Gunnison County

The future looks paved

The Gunnison County Commissioners and the county Department of Public Works have taken the first step to upgrade Cottonwood Pass through improvements to grading, slope stabilization and drainage. In addition, the county is seeking to widen and eventually pave the upper reaches of the 12,126-foot pass.

On Tuesday, July 2, the commissioners authorized $10,000 in county funds for use in a scoping process for Cottonwood Pass, to be carried out by the Central Federal Lands Highway Division.
 “Consideration for the project stems from the desire and responsibility to provide safe access to the Gunnison Valley,” said Commissioner Jonathan Houck. “Cottonwood is used all summer long and we want people to know they have a safe and well-maintained way to get here.”
According to Gunnison Public Works director Marlene Crosby, a scoping team comprised of state and federal officials will visit the prospective work areas this month.
“We were notified last week by the project manager at the Federal Highway Administration that we had made the short list for funding,” said Crosby. “However, without a reimbursement agreement for our share of the scoping cost they will not scope our project and we will not move forward.”
Cottonwood Pass, also recognized as County Road 209, connects Gunnison County to Chaffee County via the Sawatch Range. Closed in the winter, the pass often opens by Memorial Day and is renowned both for its breathtaking views and for its hairpin curves.
“The scoping process allows us to know from a dollar standpoint how to budget both today and into the future so that if the opportunity for the project arises we can respond appropriately,” said Houck, adding that the county will work with the state and federal agencies to pay for the project, should it go forward.
Improvements to the pass qualify for funding under the Federal Lands Access Program, which supports work on public highways, roads, bridges, trails and transit systems located on, adjacent to, or providing access to federal lands.
“With so many people using the pass throughout the busy summer months, improvements are a safety and access issue,” said Crosby. “The project includes plans to widen the pass at the top to 22 feet; it’s currently 16 feet wide, create pull-outs, install guard rails and paving.”
This is not the first time attempts have been made to pave Cottonwood Pass. In 1987, with federal funding offered to both Gunnison and Chaffee counties, Chaffee made the decision to pave its side of the pass, but Gunnison declined. Seven years later, in 1994, the option to pave from the summit of the pass to Taylor Park was again put before the public, and again Gunnison was not on board.
Now, nearly 20 years later, paving is again coming into the limelight. If funded, the improvements would be part of a two-year-construction project that could begin in 2015.