There have been fatal accidents on Red Mountain Pass. travel accordingly and seek alternate routes using CDOTs traveler The show delighted fans with its story of the wealthy Collins family as they navigated You may recall Felice Schachter from the popular sitcom Facts of Life or her first and only film, Zapped!, starring Scott Baio. Heres what you need to know if youre thinking of checking it out. CATEGORY: In 1979, highway authorities complained to the Herald that for locals, it is a favorite pastime to shoot up road signs, forcing the cash-strapped agency to replace bullet-riddled roadside warnings. Miraculously, the couple survived, though the husband told the Herald that their ensuing hospitalization somewhat marred their vacation. On this day, it was also a time fora safety meeting in the maintenance building perched above the Uncompahgre Gorge in Ouray. WebSee also: MHP Reported Incidents Road Conditions 1-800-226-7623 or Dial 511 1-800-335-7592 (TTY) Highway Patrol 1-855-647-3777 Report a Problem We collect user information that is necessary for this site to function, and to provide you with the best experience. The newspaper reported the truck went down an embankment and rolled near the top of the pass between Silverton and Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway. The story of Red Mountain is perhaps an amalgam of many of the western boom-and-bust mining cycles, and it took place in one (2022 Crime Rates And Crime Stats). Well, Red Mountain Pass is full of curves, viewsand scares! Dont be reckless! See below for information for truckers from Colorado authorities on driving on Wolf Creek Pass. US 550 Red Mountain Pass, between Silverton and Ouray, will remain closed through the night due to high avalanche risk of natural slides hitting the highway. In the past, we made the announcement that comments would bereserved for subscribers only. However, you should be completely comfortable driving your RV before partaking on a road as treacherous as Red Mountain Pass. His Chevrolet pickup full of FLC players tumbled 100 feet down the cliff at a 45-degree angle until a freak snowbank miraculously interrupted its fall sparing the players certain death and the Raiders (the mascot at the time) another setback in what was an already difficult season, according to the Herald. If drivers are forced to use a runaway ramp: NEVER HESITATE:If a truck driver has lost control, there shouldneverbe a hesitation to use the runaway ramps, Capt. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), White Mountains of New Hampshire road trip, Nordstroms Spring Sale Is LiveGet Up to 85% Off Notable Brands, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since. Its smart to check pass conditions before you head out, so bookmark Snoflo. | (The area receives some 300 inches of snow each year, and guardrails prevent snowplows from pushing the accumulated flakes onto the already narrow shoulder and down the cliffsides.) Provides information about accidents, congestion, traffic cameras, work zones and other road conditions. ", And I could hear him saying, Help, Im in the river. Shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday, the Sullivan vehicle left the road at milepost 88.2 on Highway 550, approximately 6 miles outside of Ouray, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Visit COtrip.orgfor the latest information on road closures and conditions. There is no obvious vehicle length restriction on the Red Mountain Pass. conditions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He pulled his own truck off to the side, shut it off and walked to the edge. The preliminary investigation shows the vehicle traveling westbound on 160 at a high rate of speed (unknown speed currently) down a steep grade. J.H. People stop in and ask, Why are there no guardrails? We explain theres no room because plows have to push the snow off the edge in winter, said Heidi Pankow, public relations manager for the Ouray Chamber Resort Association. If this sounds right up your alley, you should also plan a Tail of the Dragon road trip in North Carolina and Tennesseeanother bucket-list drive for thrill-seekers. OURAY COUNTY The Colorado Department of Transportation will close After being passed by motorists from all through the hospitable West and South, it was a gentle-voiced Negro lady who finally stopped and asked if she could be any help faith in humanity was again restored.. Its scary, said Nancy Shanks, the Colorado Department of Transportations spokeswoman for Region 5. There was a problem saving your notification. Always travel with chains to put on your tires, and know how to use them! The road turns especially perilous when wet or icy, so drivers will want to avoid it in winter. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) notified the Sheriff's Office of fresh tracks driving off U.S. Highway 550 near mile marker 90 and a black vehicle in the gorge below, Stroup said. CATEGORY: Descending toward Ouray, for reasons that remain unclear, the 30-year-old Grand Junction man drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic, struck a road sign and plunged off the mountain about 2 miles outside of town. Its not graceful. Local News, DATE: Feb 26, 2021 Youll also be able to glimpse the remains of several mines, including the Longfellow Mine, Yankee Girl, and later, the Idarado, the largest mine ever to operate in the San Juans. And then the edge of the cliff and nothing but frozen air. Ridgway, Colorado 81432 US 160 Wolf Creek Pass was closed overnight due to adverse weather and high avalanche danger. transport and finally disassembles the cranes. In 2002, a prisoner in Utah who had been reared in an unhappy succession of foster homes wrote a letter to The Durango Herald hoping to find his birth-sister.

In 1964, The Silverton Standard opined on the increased number of Negroes passing through as tourists since the passage of the Civil Rights Bill., The editor recalled his car trouble on Red Mountain Pass last Sunday. CDOT resources include: January 2, 2023 - Southwestern Colorado - All other southwest Colorado passes are currently open after winter maintenance work completed, US 550 Red Mountain Pass to remain closed, https://www.codot.gov/news/2023/january/us550-red-mountain-pass-to-remain-closed, https://www.codot.gov/@@site-logo/siteLogo.png.
Into the late 20th century, anti-avalanche strategies involved highway workers bombarding the snowpack above Red Mountain Pass with bullets, rockets and bombs. The man, identified as Alberto Martinez, was driving a 2003 Dodge pickup truck north on Highway 550 about 11 p.m. when he failed to negotiate a turn near mile marker 81 and went off the right side of the road. Eight accidents killed nine people, including five highway workers. WebOURAY COUNTY The Colorado Department of Transportation will close US 550 over Red Mountain Pass overnight to allow a wrecking contractor to extract a vehicle below the Troopers say that 54 year old truck driver Rifat Podzic was driving a 2010 Peterbilt with a trailer on Colorado Highway 160 near mile marker 160 in Mineral County when the crash occurred. (That $1 in 1883 is equivalent to nearly $26 today.). Local News, DATE: Feb 4, 2021 He was standing next to his vehicle, drenched. We also recommend that you do not drive this road at night, as it is more dangerous. It started snowing. CATEGORY: A string of break-ins at a mechanic shop in Mercedes is impacting business, according to the owner. Rockslides, mudslides, and avalanches are also possibilities (though the last time anyone was killed by an avalanche here was in 1992, thanks to improved mitigation practices).

| Shanks said no avalanches have killed humans on Red Mountain Pass since CDOT started working with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center in 1992. See scheduled construction lane closures: Connect with @ColoradoDOT on social media. Shanks said while other Colorado roads have more fatal accidents, it is not a reflection of Red Mountain Pass lesser danger so much as peoples healthy terror when traversing it. Crews worked from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. to open the highway south of Silverton. Thats when Otto Mears, an entrepreneur who had already begun building a network of roads in the area in the 1870s, purchased a majority interest in the company.

He dialed his boss. They swapped cars to solve the difficulty. In an editorial, MSN Autos, an online car site, calls it a highway to hell.. JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald
When Motorists start their northbound climb up Red Mountain Pass on U.S. Highway 550 north of Silverton, they quickly realize that there are no guardrails to give them a sense of security from plunging down a 1,000 feet over the side of the roadway. | What makes this pass particularly interesting is the fact that it runs along the Continental Divide. Two in-bounds skiers were caught in a slide on Kachina Peak, at Taos Ski Valley, on Jan. 17. Not a subscriber? Check. Pass, traveling north from Silverton to Engineer Pass Rd., then views of the highway returning back, south to Silverton. Many people drive slower than this to be careful. | Maneuver the trucks into the far right lane before approaching upgrade ramps. In 2005, a minivan carrying six people careened over Red Mountain Pass, plummeting hundreds of feet down a 60-degree slope. Runaway Ramp, MP 161 approximately 6 miles from the pass summit. Even in summer, motorists need to be aware of frequent afternoon thunderstorms. This data provides traffic conditions to the website and the WSDOT 511 traffic information hotline. Its a section on the Million Dollar Highway, aka US Highway 550. We recommend our users to update the browser. Silverton is just 50 miles from Durango, making the drive a must-do for anyone visiting the southwestern corner of Coloradoanyone with a taste for adrenaline, that is. Check. You can also engage your inner prospector in Silverton with a tour of the Old Hundred Gold Mine. roadway, lifts and loads the heavy vehicle, sets the vehicle for WebUS 550 Red Mountain Pass, between Silverton and Ouray, will remain closed through the night due to high avalanche risk of natural slides hitting the highway. DATE: Feb 27, 2023 For nearly six decades, classic gothic soap opera Dark Shadows has haunted and entertained global audiences. Red Mountain Pass provides stunning mountain views and a thrilling adventure. Spring is a great time to trim all your extra body hair as the weather warms up. Hop aboard for a ride on the snowplowing flanger train, DHS girl's basketball wins quarterfinal contest, FLC mens basketball defeats Regis in RMAC quarterfinals, Fort Lewis College mens and womens basketball teams play Metropolitan State University of Denver at FLC, Durango High School girls basketball wins first round of tournament, Jury in defamation suit against Fox won't hear about Jan. 6, LSU's Reese on White House flap: 'Well go to the Obamas', Novel treatment shows promise against rare cancer in kids, Report a paper delivery issue/suspend delivery. Through the years, many things have mysteriously disappeared atop Red Mountain Pass, according to Herald lost and found classifieds, including a pair of snowshoes (2005), a black Labrador called Skipper (1973) and a lieutenant governor (1989) who later re-emerged alive in Denver. Can You See The Northern Lights In Colorado? (If youre a leaf-peeping enthusiast, check out our guide to New England fall foliage.). 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