Red Mountain Pass may open for two-lane traffic by June 13, if not before, state transportation officials said.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is installing a fence at midslope, above U.S. Highway 550 to catch rocks that are battering the road.

That installation is being done this week. Phase II was installing more wire mesh to contain falling rocks, said Nancy Shanks, CDOT Region 5 communications manager.

“The third and final phase of rockfall mitigation is not fully determined at this time, but it will include further roadway repairs and the installation of monitoring equipment,” said Ed Archuleta, CDOT Region 5 program engineer, in a news release. “The performance of the mid-slope fence will help us determine the scope of our final project, and we expect that work to be underway in late summer into early fall.”

Highway 550 was closed for more than three weeks in January when a massive rockslide crashed onto the highway between Ouray and Silverton. Single lane traffic was restored in early February, but CDOT has closed the pass for extended periods so crews could do rockfall mitigation work and instal rockfall monitoring equipment.

The temporary fence blocking the inside lane will be removed after the work finishes.

smueller@durangoherald.com