Traffic on Animas View Drive will be reduced to one-way alternating traffic on Tuesday while the city of Durango installs five speed cushions.
Speed cushions serve a similar purpose as speed bumps, but differ in how they affect passenger vehicles versus larger vehicles, such as those used by emergency services or public transportation. Speed cushions feature cutouts that allow wide vehicles, like buses or ambulances, to pass unaffected while slowing down passenger vehicles.
The speed cushions are being installed as a short-term solution to improve safety by slowing vehicles on the narrow road in north Durango. The effort is part of the Animas View Drive Improvements project, which ultimately aims to make long-term safety improvements.
The installation follows several injuries on the road, including a pedestrian fatality in 2023, according to the city’s release.
The speed cushions will remain in place through the fall, after the road’s peak traffic season. Next spring, the city will decide whether to reinstall the cushions based on their effectiveness this summer.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story erred in saying Animas View Drive would be closed during installation of the speed cushions. Traffic will be reduced to one-lane alternating traffic.
