A rockslide 4 miles of north of the Western Slope mining town of Uravan closed a winding mountain highway this morning, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Maintenance crews reported the slide at about 10 a.m. along Colorado 141, which connects Uravan to the Gateway area in southwestern Colorado, CDOT spokeswoman Nancy Shanks said. Large boulders covered lanes of traffic in both directions, and cleanup will take at least two to three days, she said.
The alternative route CDOT recommends is U.S. 550.
“The upside is that U.S. 550 is a very viable route for northbound drivers. Southbound travelers coming from Grand Junction are going to be very inconvenienced, however,” she said. “There just are not a lot of alternatives in that part of the state.”
Shanks said Colorado 141 is not a heavily traveled highway. The average daily traffic from mile marker 64 to 110 along the road is 370 to 700 cars, while U.S. 550, also a two-lane mountain highway, sees about 3,000 cars a day, Shanks said.
Staff writer Cassie Hewlings can be reached at 303-954-1638 or chewlings@denverpost.com.
