Disaster Emergency Declared to Provide Support for U.S. Highway 50 Bridge

Lt. Governor Primavera Verbally Declares Disaster Emergency to Speed Repair Support for Critical  State Highway Bridge

On Tuesday afternoon, as acting Governor, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera verbally declared a disaster emergency to support the response and recovery for the U.S. 50 bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir at Dillon Pinnacles. It developed concerning cracks in a bridge support that brought about it’s closure last Friday for safety reasons.

An inspection Thursday revealed a crack in a beam on the Highway U.S. 50 bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir. CDOT courtesy photo.

The declaration establishes a coordinated framework for an interagency, statewide response to build on the leading efforts of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). It engages other state agencies as areas of expertise are needed, and implements the State Emergency Operations Plan.

The State Emergency Operations Plan supports a coordinated approach among state agencies. The declaration also initiates processes for requesting federal assistance, including supplemental highway funding.

CDOT has been inspecting the bridge and assessing potential repair options. It has also continued to support traffic operations and is working to improve local roads so they can carry more traffic while the closure of U.S. 50 separates the towns of Gunnison and Lake City from Montrose to the west.

The Colorado Transportation Commission has already approved an emergency request allowing up to $10 million of expenditures on repair and remediation, including utilizing CDOT’s contractors to strengthen Gunnison County Road 26 to serve as a shorter detour. That work is already underway.

The Colorado State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to support resource requests and provide technical assistance to impacted counties. This declaration will help support these efforts, alongside other ongoing efforts.

Lt. Governor Primavera is serving as acting Governor while Governor Jared Polis is out of state leading the delegation for the Biennial of Americas Summit.