The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Paving to begin May 1 and should accommodate tractor trailers
[ By Kender Wookie ]
In an effort to cut down the timeline of the Big Blue Canyon road improvement project on Highway 50, CDOT officials announced on Monday they will begin paving of Kebler Pass on May 1 to allow for a more efficient detour around the intrusive project. It is expected that move could help complete all the projects within a one-year time frame.
While neighbors in southwest Crested Butte were lining up social media posts to complain, the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce was excited for the move and predicted a truck stop could be constructed at First and Whiterock to handle the increase in semi traffic.
“We’ve decided to cut the project down to one year. It’s ambitious, but the paving of Kebler Pass will help us achieve the goal,” said project manager Claire Boggs. “Highway 50 will be 100 percent shut down to traffic from June 1 to October 31 and then 99 percent closed from October 31 to October 15, 2022. We should be done with the Kebler work about October 15 of one of those years. We feel we can get the project done in that timeframe, probably, perhaps.”
When asked about the decision county commissioner Jonathan Hawk responded by saying, “ I know Crested Butte circa 1978 better than anyone and they can handle it. The county might do some work on Highway 135 between June and September that closes the road and Matthew has some Ohio Pass Road work in mind for summer but those citizens will figure it out. There’s always Schofield.”
Liz Smithy was in a Zoom seminar and could not be reached for comment.
“Hey, I’m happy I bought that house in Antelope Hills last month,” said Commissioner Roland Masonic.
