OURAY – The Colorado Department of Transportation said Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray will be closed “until further notice.”
CDOT said the section of Highway 550 that connects Durango and Ridgway in the southwestern part of the state was covered by snow following avalanche mitigation efforts. CDOT reports the road is covered by drifts as high as 30 feet. In a Facebook post about the closure, CDOT called the amount of snow on the road “unprecedented.”
Some of the avalanches knocked down trees and limbs, which are now covering the roadway.
CDOT said more avalanche mitigation efforts are planned Wednesday when even more snow is forecast to impact the San Juans.
BIG snow over the next couple days across the San Juans and from Gunnison county up north to Steamboat, great for skiing but terrible for any mountain drives pic.twitter.com/cD5tZ7uX0n
— Sam Schreier (@SamASchreier) March 6, 2019
