US-50 - More Construction in CO...

[Twisties]

The ongoing Little Blue Creek Project has had US-50 largely closed for two years now.  It appears this summer closures will be at night and during the day it will be one-way alternating traffic.  That has been bad enough.  It was scheduled for completion last fall, but I guess it's over run.  

 

And now this:  Passing Lane Project just east of the Little Blue Creek Project.  

 

This is the area between Montrose and Gunnison.  Blue Creek is west of the junction with 92, and the passing lane project is east of the junction.  

[roadscholar]

There is a bypass (mostly) albeit a long one. The good news is it's very scenic and you wouldn't be sitting 20-30 min on tarmac in 95 degree heat waiting for traffic to go, possibly twice with the lane widening at Sapinero. If you're on a GS (or even RT if it hadn't rained recently) the dirt part is a well maintained forest road. It's a ride worth doing even if not looking for an alternate, I've ridden it because it's on my I500 mile Colorado Loop. It returns back onto 50 right where Blue Creek crosses the road but the construction is mostly north (east) of that where 50 traverses thru a narrow canyon. Not saying you wouldn't have to wait at the intersection but likely not for long. There are no other options besides Engineer Pass or Cinnamon Pass and you'd need a real dirt bike for those, they've become very rocky and are slow going.

 

From west of Gunnison go south on I49 to Alpine Rd (turn west) then north onto FR 867 back up to 50, it's the long way around but again, well worth it.

 

  https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1XlJUAOUcsi7DSPlU6ulF1qYDst_I3UM&usp=sharing

 

 

 

 

 

[Mjpgoski]

Thanks for the heads up.  We planned on using 50 on our ride from Creede...

[Twisties]

13 hours ago, roadscholar said:

There is a bypass (mostly) albeit a long one. The good news is it's very scenic and you wouldn't be sitting 20-30 min on tarmac in 95 degree heat waiting for traffic to go, possibly twice with the lane widening at Sapinero. If you're on a GS (or even RT if it hadn't rained recently) the dirt part is a well maintained forest road. It's a ride worth doing even if not looking for an alternate, I've ridden it because it's on my I500 mile Colorado Loop. It returns back onto 50 right where Blue Creek crosses the road but the construction is mostly north (east) of that where 50 traverses thru a narrow canyon. Not saying you wouldn't have to wait at the intersection but likely not for long. There are no other options besides Engineer Pass or Cinnamon Pass and you'd need a real dirt bike for those, they've become very rocky and are slow going.

 

From west of Gunnison go south on I49 to Alpine Rd (turn west) then north onto FR 867 back up to 50, it's the long way around but again, well worth it.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1XlJUAOUcsi7DSPlU6ulF1qYDst_I3UM&usp=sharing

 

 

 

 

Link requires access rights ---  eg. says, "Access Denied"

[roadscholar]

Sorry Jan, clicked the wrong button, little ADD possibly kicking in  : ) should be good now. I doubt anyone will use it on their last leg riding to the Un but fun to give the adventurous types an option. Depending on rider it could add 2 to 3 hours if there weren't traffic delays on 50. Mapsource says it's 62 miles and 5+ hours but that's for a family of 7 in a mini-van, a bike can do it in half that easy.

[randy]

1 hour ago, roadscholar said:

Sorry Jan, clicked the wrong button, little ADD possibly kicking in  : ) should be good now. I doubt anyone will use it on their last leg riding to the Un but fun to give the adventurous types an option. Depending on rider it could add 2 to 3 hours if there weren't traffic delays on 50. Mapsource says it's 62 miles and 5+ hours but that's for a family of 7 in a mini-van, a bike can do it in half that easy.

ok what am I missing?
62 miles in 5 hours, that is 12mph average.  Are those roads in that bad of shape?  Normally even on a RT on a well maintained packed road I would expect 20-25mph average.

[randy]

unfortunately I think 50 is on three of my rides.
thanks for the update.  I know one day I was going to head up 92.  But instead I can take 135.  I will have to look at options for the other 2 days.

[roadscholar]

8 hours ago, randy said:

ok what am I missing?
62 miles in 5 hours, that is 12mph average.  Are those roads in that bad of shape?  Normally even on a RT on a well maintained packed road I would expect 20-25mph average.

 

Yeah I don't think that's right. The paved part (I49) is half of it so that should be about 30 minutes, the dirt part is the other half, I did it on a bike and in a Tahoe in an hour or so not counting stops. It's a well maintained road with a few switchbacks just off I49 where it climbs onto the Alpine Plateau. the rest you can cruise at a decent pace. The only thing that might slow you down is stopping for photos because there are some worthy ones, sadly I no longer have mine. 

[Twisties]

The link works now!  Thanks Bill!

[roadscholar]

For anyone interested here's a couple links to Alpine Plateau Rd (FR 867).. this one has an interactive map

 

https://www.onxmaps.com/offroad/trails/us/colorado/alpine-plateau-road

 

Contrary to this website's name it's not a dangerous road, but it does have a video of some yahoo riding a WR250 too fast on it : ) Pretty sure it ends at the junction of hwy 50.

 

https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/7074-alpine-plateau.html