Travelers planning to navigate the mountainous stretch of US 550 between Ouray and Silverton today should brace for significant delays. Beginning at 10 a.m., both directions of US 550 Red Mountain Pass will be shut down for winter maintenance operations, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The closure is slated to last most of the day.

For those who must travel today, CDOT advises to either pass through before the closure or prepare for a detour. An alternative route, adding roughly one hour of driving time, will utilize CO 145 through Lizard Head Pass. Situated west of the closure, this path leads drivers on a three-hour journey across approximately 150 miles, linking Durango and Ridgway.

The details of the detour include a series of state highways, US 160 from Durango to Mancos, CO 184 from Mancos to Dolores, CO 145 from Dolores to Placerville, and CO 62 from Placerville to Ridgway. As for the traffic impacts of the closure, they commence on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the stated time of 10 a.m., with no immediate timeframe for reopening provided.

Travelers can expect the closure points four miles north of Silverton near Ophir Pass Road (Mile Point 75) for northbound traffic, and fourteen miles south of Ouray at Chattanooga Mine (Mile Point 79) for southbound routes. Motorists are cautioned against attempting to bypass these closure gates. Up-to-date road statuses and closure information are available on the CDOT website.