Three southwest mountain passes scheduled to close Nov. 25 for winter maintenance prep

Update: U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass will be closed for approximately 3 to 4 hours Tuesday, Nov. 25, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Eastbound motorists need to be beyond the closure point located at Treasure Falls before 7:30 am. Crews will attempt to let traffic through intermittently between winter maintenance operations however plan for lengthy delays more most of the morning.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, motorists should plan for closures on U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass, U.S. 550 Red Mountain Pass and Colo. 145 Lizard Head Pass while the Colorado Department of Transportation performs safety-critical helicopter operations in preparation for the upcoming winter season.

U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass will close for approximately two hours at 7:30 a.m.,  followed by mid-morning closures on U.S. 550 and Colo. 145. The lengthy closures are needed to allow for motorist safety during helicopter operations and preparations of avalanche mitigation equipment above the highway.

Motorists will encounter full stops and a lengthy delay of up to two hours and are urged to allow for extra travel time or seek alternate routes. Visit www.COtrip.org for the most current closure times and traffic impacts.

Helicopter operations are dependent upon weather conditions. Delay times are approximate and may be extended should unusual circumstances arise.

Tuesday, Nov. 25, closure schedule: 

7:30 a.m. — U.S. 160 Wolf Creek Pass (between South Fork and Pagosa Springs):

• Eastbound travelers will encounter a closure at Treasure Falls (mile point 157), 13 miles east of Pagosa Springs.
• Westbound travelers will encounter a closure at the Wolf Creek Pass Ski Area (mile point 167), 19 miles west of South Fork.

9 a.m. — U.S. 550 Red Mountain Pass (between Ouray and Silverton):

• Northbound travelers will encounter a closure north of Ironton (mile point 87).
• Southbound travelers will encounter a closure at the Bear Creek Overlook, approximately three miles south of Ouray (mile point 90.6).

10:30 a.m. — Colo. 145 Lizard Head Pass (between Telluride and Rico):

• Northbound travelers will encounter a closure at Forest Service Road 423 (mile point 49), 2 miles north of Rico.
• Southbound travelers may encounter two closures, one three miles north of Rico (mile point 50) or one near Trout Lake (mile point 61).