Construction on the wildlife crossing along U.S. Highway 160 between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs will enter a second year.
The Colorado Department of Transportation announced on Dec. 1 that work on the complex at the intersection of state Highway 151 will finish by mid-December and restart in April for the final steps of the project.
“When we come back in the spring, we’re going to be addressing the wildlife overpass,” said CDOT spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.
Contractor Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Co. and CDOT have installed the overpass, but crews need to construct the concrete sidewalls, or “wing walls,” and backfill and landscape the bridge before big game can cross.
The project began in March and was scheduled for completion in November 2021, but ran into obstacles this fall that forced the delay.
“We found that in one particular area the shale material that we had to dig into was much harder than we had anticipated. That has caused setbacks setting up those wing walls,” Schwantes said.
CDOT plans to start again in April, but that schedule remains flexible based on weather conditions.
CDOT expects construction to last another four to six weeks, Schwantes said.
Before the project shuts down on Dec.17, crews will complete much of the project’s remaining road activity. Workers are finishing erosion control, stabilizing the overpass, and placing permanent signage and fencing ahead of next week’s deadline.
Crews are also reinstalling guardrails, removing cones and other construction equipment, and placing a temporary deer fence to block animals from entering the road at the overpass.
“We're just going to clean (the wildlife crossing) up and button it up for the winter season so that it’s a nice, clean stretch of highway with no obstructions,” Schwantes said.
Ahead of forecasted snow, crews were out working through Thursday. CDOT suspended operations for Friday, but will return on Monday for the final week of work this year, she said.
Work completed before the winter break will allow construction crews to minimize any impacts to traffic next year.
When construction restarts, the 2-mile stretch of highway will remain a work zone with reduced speeds, but stops like those seen this summer and fall will be minimal and periodic, Schwantes said.
CDOT and Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Co. have finished the majority of the work on the sprawling infrastructure project, which includes an overpass 100 feet long and 20 feet tall, and an underpass 78 feet long and 13 feet high.
In addition to the overpass and underpass, which are about a half mile apart, the crossing includes 8-foot-tall exclusion fences, earthen escape ramps and deer guards, a new left-turn acceleration lane at state Highway 151 and 2 miles of pavement resurfacing.
Crews have completed the wildlife underpass, deer guards and fences. They have also finished the new acceleration lane, road widening, and surface repaving and repainting.
Though work has been pushed back, the project’s price tag of about $11 million remains unchanged, Schwantes said.
The underpass is available for wildlife to use this winter.
By next summer, drivers can expect to see elk and deer walking overhead.
ahannon@durangoherald.com
