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Boulders on Highway 550 near Bondad

Expect delays on Tuesday as crews work to remove it
JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald<br><br>Giant sized boulders sit on U.S. Highway 550 south of Durango at Bondad Hill. A portion of rock broke away from the cliff on the east side of the highway blocking a a north bound lane.

A rockfall on U.S. Highway 550 on Bondad Hill south of Durango has limited northbound traffic to one lane.

“This afternoon at about 2:15 p.m., we had large rocks come down on Bondad Hill, estimated at 50 cubic yards,” said Nancy Shanks, communication manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Region 5. “We had crews in the area, and traffic was never delayed more than 15 minutes. We ran single-lane, alternating traffic with a flagger while crews cleared one (northbound) lane.”

Two lanes of traffic opened at 3:30 p.m., Shanks said, but the righthand northbound lane will remain closed through the night, with crews coming in to remove it Tuesday.

“We’ll bring in a loader and a rock breaker, which is a hydraulic hammer on a backhoe, that we have to rent for occasions like this,” she said. “People should expect periodic delays for lane closures throughout the day tomorrow while equipment is moving around. Plan for delays.”

She said crews will keep two-way traffic flowing as much as possible.

“It’s unclear what time the rocks will be cleared,” Shanks said, “but we expect to have it open sometime tomorrow.”

abutler@durangoherald.com



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