On April 23, Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera verbally declared a ‘disaster emergency’ related to the cracked Highway 50 bridge that’s resulted in a six hour detour between Montrose and Gunnison for most travelers. At the time the declaration was made, Primavera was and continues to serve her role as acting governor while Colorado Governor Polis leads a delegation for the Biennial of Americas Summit.
The purpose of the declaration was to establish a framework for an interagency response to the problem, which continues to have a major impact on travel across the Blue Mesa Reservoir despite a limited detour that has been put in place for critical and essential local travelers.
The high-traffic bridge was closed indefinitely on April 18, with CDOT having spent time further inspecting and assessing potential repair options in time since. The Colorado Transportation Commission has already approved up to $10 million of emergency expenditures for repair and remediation. Part of this fund involves strengthening Gunnison County Road 26 to allow for more people to use this shorter detour.