A final concept design is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023 for upgrade work to county roads in Colorado that travel through the Cottonwood Pass.
Located in the south central part of the state, the Cottonwood Pass traverses the Continental Divide, and is made up of a series of rural county roads sometimes used by local residents as an alternative to the east-to-west Interstate 70.
Now the Colorado Department of Transportation is making plans for a series of upgrades at some 14 different locations along those county roads.
While not finalized yet, improvements could see the building of curve softening, improved surface and sign distancing through the removal of obstructions, as well as road widening in some sections to allow for vehicle passing.
As planned, the project will be done in cooperation with the transportation departments of Eagle and Garfield counties, with a focus on the roadway between the town of Gypsum and Colorado Highway 82, some 44 miles to the south.
In a statement, Jason Smith, who is the transportation director of the CDOT’s Region 3, said the state agency is determined to “ensure the safety improvements are a good fit for these communities and the locations they care deeply about.”
Region 3, of the CDOT’s five transportation regions, takes in all the northwest section of the state.
It is expected that an initial design concept for the project will be completed this fall, to be followed by a series of public input meetings.
By Garry Boulard
