The rockslide that has closed Red Mountain Pass at least through the weekend began spitting boulders again Wednesday, covering the road and damaging the asphalt for the third time this week.

“It reached a high of 56 (degrees) today, but rocks began coming down at 10 a.m. when sun started hitting that south face,” said Nancy Shanks, spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The new debris covered a 200-foot section of U.S. Highway 550 about two miles south of Ouray. It included a 2-foot by 4-foot boulder, Shanks said. One punched a 6-inch hole in the highway, she said.

“That gives a little indication of what is happening up there,” Shanks said.

The first slide occurred Sunday night and another occurred midday Monday. The pass has been closed since 12:40 p.m. Monday and is expected to remain closed through the weekend to allow workers to rappel down the mountainside, dislodging loose rocks along the way.

Workers removed a downed power line and power pole Wednesday.

CDOT also opened more of Red Mountain Pass, which had been closed from the top of the pass to just south of Ouray, about a 12-mile section. Drivers from the south are now able to descend much of the pass to mile marker 87 at Ironton Park, a popular recreation area.

But the U.S. Forest Service is encouraging recreationists to avoid the immediate area around the rockslide.

“There are many other areas of the forest that cater to skiing, climbing and snowmobiles to explore,” a news release Wednesday says.

Drivers commuting between Durango and Ouray must go over Lizard Head Pass via Mancos, Dolores, Rico, Placerville and Ridgway. That route is 153 miles.

From Durango to Ouray over Red Mountain Pass is 73 miles.

Those traveling from Durango to points beyond Ouray (Montrose or Grand Junction for example) will still make a 143-mile detour, but avoid the 10-mile backtrack to Ouray.

shane@durangoherald.com