The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), in collaboration with Rock Supremacy, has announced a winter shutdown for the rockfall mitigation project on CO Highway 82 at Red Hill. The shutdown begins November 7, with work scheduled to resume in spring 2026. This pause is due to safety concerns arising from adverse winter conditions that could affect both workers and motorists.
The mitigation project began in mid-May along a section of CO 82 Red Hill, specifically between Mile Point 11.7 and MP 12.2, located east of the intersection with CO 133. Crews have completed several tasks so far, including cleaning culverts, conducting rock scaling operations, installing approximately 100 anchors and 21 posts, and securing about 90,000 square feet of mesh netting.
Jason Smith, CDOT Regional Transportation Director, explained the rationale behind these efforts: “Any loose surface material on a cliff or slope could present a rockfall hazard for motorists on the highway. The elimination of loose material decreases this potential hazard. The new post-mounted mesh system will help capture potential falling rocks and debris and deposit them into the catchment ditch safely off of the road surface.”
When construction resumes next spring, daytime work will take place Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Traffic impacts during these periods are expected to include single-lane closures, reduced speed limits to 45 MPH, vehicle width restrictions down to fourteen feet, and occasional traffic holds lasting up to twenty minutes.
Completion of the project is expected by the end of May 2026.
More details can be found on the project website or by contacting the project hotline at 970-639-0680.
