YOUR AD HERE »

Highway 9 drivers face long delays, rough road

Scott Franz
A map provided by Kirkland Construction and the Colorado Department of Transportation shows the alternate routes drivers can take to avoid the cone zone.
Screen_Shot_2015-03-31_at_7.27.08_PM

— It might be time for drivers in Northwest Colorado to begin taking Colorado Highway 131 or Berthoud Pass to get to and from the Front Range.

Drivers who remain determined to take the more direct route through Kremmling should expect a slow and bumpy ride on an unpaved road that stretches along a five-mile construction zone on Colorado Highway 9.

According to the latest update from the construction zone, drivers could face delays as long as 45 minutes between Kremmling and Silverthorne.



The delays stem from a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit through the construction zone, potential lane closures and a detour lane with a 25-mile-per-hour speed limit that bypasses the area where crews are currently installing a new wildlife underpass.

A project spokeswoman said Thursday the lower speed limits and potential for long delays will be standard throughout the summer.



The road will not be repaved until all the new wildlife crossings have been installed.

In addition to the wildlife underpasses and overpasses, the $39.2 million project is widening the road and improving signage and striping on the 11-mile stretch of highway south of Kremmling.

The current phase of the project stretches from mile markers 126 to 131 between Kremmling and the Green Mountain Reservoir.

The project is expected to be completed by July 2017.

Alternate routes around the construction zone include Colorado Highway 131 to Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 40 through Winter Park to I-70.

To receive information about the construction project and expected delays, call the project hotline at 970-724-4724.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.