US Highway 550 Red Mountain Pass will be closed for winter maintenance operations on Saturday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 9. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced that these closures are necessary to perform safety-critical work in response to snow conditions.
On Saturday, December 6, delays will begin at 8 a.m. between Mile Points 80 and 81. Northbound travelers will encounter a closure about ten miles north of Silverton (Mile Point 80.9), while southbound travelers will find the closure approximately twelve miles south of Ouray (Mile Point 81.5). Motorists should expect delays up to forty minutes throughout the morning.
The more extensive maintenance scheduled for Tuesday, December 9 is possible due to favorable weather conditions. Starting at 10 a.m., US 550 will close in both directions from Mile Point 75.2 near Ophir Pass Road (for northbound traffic) to Mile Point 79.2 between Ironton and Chattanooga Mine (for southbound traffic). This closure is expected to last about four hours, with the road reopening by approximately 2 p.m., depending on progress.
Travelers are advised not to park or recreate between the closure points during maintenance operations. Backcountry users must vacate the area and remove their vehicles before the scheduled closures begin.
“Both planned maintenance closures and critical safety closures are updated in real-time on COtrip.org,” according to CDOT.
Motorists may want to consider alternate routes during these periods. One option is traveling via CO 145 through Lizard Head Pass, which adds about one hour of driving time for those journeying between Durango and Ridgway—a trip totaling around three hours over approximately 150 miles.
During winter months, snow conditions can prompt additional unplanned closures or maintenance activities on highways across southwest Colorado. Travelers can check current closure times and traffic impacts at COtrip.org.
