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Red Mountain Pass could be closed for days for snow removal efforts

Posted at 6:50 AM, Mar 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-06 08:50:21-05
Red Mountain Pass
Photo from CDOT shows the depth of snow covering Highway 550 on March 4, 2019.

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.