SOUTHWEST COLORADO — Drivers will get a brief break from flood-related detours this weekend as the Colorado Department of Transportation plans to reopen US Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass between Pagosa Springs and South Fork. The pass is scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, and close again at 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, so crews can finish paving (all times are Mountain).
The weekend opening is the first step toward restoring regular travel over the pass before Thanksgiving. As The Trucker reported Nov. 5, back-to-back floods washed out roads, triggered mudslides and rockslides, and knocked out a bridge, forcing lengthy detours for trucks serving the region. CDOT said Nov. 10 that crews were working at about 15 emergency repair sites across five highways.
CDOT says drivers should allow up to 40 extra minutes between South Fork and the Wolf Creek Ski Area, where temporary signals will alternate traffic through two single-lane work zones. On the Pagosa Springs side, drivers should expect narrow lanes, shifting traffic patterns and lower speed limits. CDOT also warns that snow and ice could force safety closures during the weekend opening.
CDOT expects to reopen CO 151 south of Chimney Rock National Monument before Thanksgiving. Crews are rebuilding two washed-out sections of highway, and drivers should expect flaggers and reduced speeds after the road reopens. CDOT estimates the route will cut travel time between Durango and Pagosa Springs from about 3.5 hours via New Mexico to about 1.5 hours.
That shorter route won’t mean US 160 is fully restored. The highway remains closed at the Piedra River Bridge at mile point 121, where floodwaters took out the bridge’s support piers. Crews are preparing a temporary crossing next to the damaged bridge, with installation expected in January 2027. A permanent replacement will follow.
Truck drivers and dispatchers should check COtrip.org or the COtrip Planner app for current closures, road conditions and restrictions before changing routes.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
