The U.S. 50 bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir reopened Wednesday after months of closures and construction sparked by state and federal transportation officials discovering cracks in the steel supports.
A single lane of the bridge reopened in early October after the initial April shutdown, but the bridge fully reopened to two-way traffic Wednesday afternoon, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
“We appreciate the community’s patience and support throughout these past several months,” CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said in the release. “We know this bridge closure posed a very challenging situation for many people throughout southwest Colorado, and your resilience and understanding were crucial in helping us get to this point.”
On April 18, CDOT officials shut down U.S. 50 between Montrose and Gunnison after discovering a 3- to 4-inch crack through a steel girder in the middle of the bridge.
Inspections that started after the closure found another 118 defects in four main areas on the Blue Mesa Reservoir bridge, CDOT officials said.
Western Colorado residents rely heavily on U.S. 50, which links Gunnison and Montrose. Closures along U.S. 50 forced drivers to take detours that added up to seven hours of travel time.
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The U.S. 50 bridge over Lake Fork, about five miles to the west, remains partially closed and is expected to fully reopen after construction finishes in December.
CDOT officials said the Lake Fork bridge was built using the same steel in the early 1960s and a method that engineers subsequently deemed faulty.
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