Taylor River Road open as two year project ends

Cottonwood and Kebler may stay open a few more weeks

After nearly six months of almost nonstop construction—including two separate closures and thousands of detoured vehicles—the second and final year of the Taylor River Road renovation project drew to a close this week.

On Tuesday, October 22, the Colorado Department of Transportation reopened the road from Almont to Jack’s Cabin Cutoff, which had been largely closed since Memorial Day, to public use. According to the agency, “All remaining work items will be done using flagging or pilot car traffic control.”
The renovation project was part of a Federal Highway Administration project to rebuild an eight-mile stretch of the road between the Summerville trailhead and the Almont post office. Contractors divided the work into two phases, the first of which was in 2012.
“Everything’s getting done,” said Marlene Crosby, public works director for Gunnison County. “It looks good out there. Revegetation and paint are happening, a lot of the clean-up has already been done, or is being finished up. This was a good project, and we have to give kudos to Lacy Construction. They hired lots of local folks and returned dollars to the local economy.”
Where construction took place, the road now has 11-foot wide lanes with one-foot shoulders. It also offers several pullouts for fishermen and people who want to watch wildlife and enjoy the canyon. Lacy Construction received a $7.75 million contract for this phase of the project from the Department of Transportation.
“The project has improved the safety and functionality of the road,” said Crosby.
In other local road news, both Kebler and Cottonwood Pass remain open. The county will continue to plow Cottonwood through this weekend, but may soon close the road for the season if winter weather persists. Kebler will continue to be maintained for as long as is safely possible, said Crosby.
“We try to keep Kebler open to the Fork until Thanksgiving,” Crosby said. “It keeps access for the Nordic camp that happens up that and makes winter just a little shorter for the folks in Irwin.”
For more information about road construction and closures contact Gunnison County Public Works at (970) 641-0044.