Road and Bridge – Garfield County

Work to improve Buford-New Castle Road commences

The Buford-New Castle Road in Garfield County.

A large maintenance and improvement project will begin next week on the Buford-New Castle Road (NFSR 245). The project is the result of a partnership between Garfield County and the White River National Forest. Travelers can expect delays up to two hours Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 7 a.m. to noon, while Garfield County crews replace culverts along the 7.5 miles between the forest boundary and the West Elk Trailhead. It’s the first phase of the road improvement and reconditioning project on the stretch, which is expected to last through July. Work includes reconditioning

The Buford New-Castle Road north of New Castle, Colorado.

Garfield County has signed an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to improve the first eight miles of the Buford-New Castle Road (County Road 245). Improvements include replacement of up to eight culverts, shoulder and roadbed grading, placing roughly 20,000 tons of new gravel and subsequent dust control, and erosion-control efforts. The work is taking place from the end of the pavement at mile marker 0 to milepost 8, which is approximately a half-mile past the West Elk Trailhead parking lot. As part of the agreement, the USFS is reimbursing the county for project costs, which overall are anticipated

Garfield County is providing sandbags to residents in unincorporated areas who may be at risk of flooding as the local snowpack melts and rivers and streams rise. Up to 20 filled sandbags may be available on site at Garfield County Road and Bridge locations or residents can pick up 50 empty sandbags that they can fill off site. The bags area available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rifle Road and Bridge campus, 0298 County Road 333A, and by appointment only from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs facility, 7300 Highway 82. Residents of unincorporated

Cottonwood Pass in Eagle County from Gypsum to the Roaring Fork Valley is now closed for the remainder of the winter season from mile marker 2.5 in Gypsum to mile marker 12.5. The road will reopen in April 2023 or when conditions allow. An announcement will be made when Cottonwood Pass is set to reopen. For more information, contact the Eagle County Road & Bridge Department at 970-328-3540.

A Garfield County plow clears the road during winter.

No two winters are the same, but Garfield County Road and Bridge always strives to stay on top of winter maintenance. Each time there is a snow storm, the road and bridge employees try hard to follow an established protocol. Knowing this protocol may help residents clear up a few questions or misconceptions. Clearing roads generally consists of a two-step process.

: Jane Taylor, daughter of Janis and Rod Taylor, cuts a ribbon on the Hardwick Bridge officially opening the Hardwick Bridge Trail south of Glenwood Springs.

A trail project linking the Riverview School and its surrounding neighborhoods south of Glenwood Springs is now officially open following four years of collaborate efforts. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Friday morning to highlight the completion of the Hardwick Bridge Trail, which spans from the Ironbridge and Westbank neighborhoods up to the Rio Grande Trail, and over to Riverview, creating a seamless connection. Garfield County teamed up with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), Roaring Fork Schools, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Ironbridge Homeowners Association, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and local neighbors to bring the Colorado Safe Routes to School

Garfield County has extended a closure of Red Canyon Road (County Road 115) for an additional 90 days due to dangerous conditions on the primitive, steep stretch between Highway 82 and the Spring Valley area. “We had a weather event where it started to rain and then it froze, after which we had snow fall on top of it,” said Garfield County Road and Bridge Director Wyatt Keesbery to the Board of County Commissioners. “This made it very, very icy. The condition of that road even in the summertime is not good.” CR 115 features a steep grade, narrow roadway,

The north end of County Road 115/Red Canyon Road is currently closed until further notice for safety. Road and Bridge teams are operating on winter maintenance protocols for open county roads.

During a year filled with uncertainty, Garfield County was able to achieve a high percentage of important capital projects benefitting the entire community. Nearly 80 percent of the county’s 97 capital projects were completed in 2020, and six percent were near completion by year’s end. Just one percent of projects did not start, and 14 percent were in the beginning stages. Capital project goals included an expansion of the apron at the Garfield County Rifle Airport; realignment of the popular Red Hill Recreation Area near Carbondale; numerous improvements at the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, replacement of the Garfield County Courthouse

The Garfield County Road and Bridge facility near Cattle Creek south of Glenwood Springs is now powered by the sun. A new 25-kilowatt (kW) rooftop photovoltaic array is providing roughly 95 percent of electricity needed to power the building. Located at 7300 Highway 82, the facility houses the county’s District 1 operations, including maintenance of county roads in from South Canyon to Carbondale, as well as storage of equipment and materials. The facility consumed 45,251 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy in 2019. The system was installed by Avon-based Active Energies Solar, LLC in the three days prior to Thanksgiving. The panels

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has release an educational driving safety video for truckers who travel along Interstate 70 in the winter.

The new parking and trails area at Red Hill Special Recreation Area near Carbondale has officially opened to the public following a closure this summer while construction work took place. A wide-reaching partnership between Garfield County, the Town of Carbondale, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV), Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) and other partners helped see the trail, parking and safety improvements to fruition. Through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA), new parking and hiking and multi-use trails were constructed, and County Road 107 was realigned into a more streamlined configuration,

Winter is in full swing and Garfield County Road and Bridge staff are out clearing snow and ensuring county roads are safe for travel. Click the link to see county plow routes.

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – New signage is in place warning drivers of travel restrictions on several roads in Garfield County. Semis and other oversized vehicles are barred from traveling over roads that lead to Cottonwood Pass, and in the Four Mile area near Glenwood Springs. These restrictions target commercial vehicles looking to avoid traffic associated with the Grand Avenue Bridge closure, and not local delivery vehicles or residents that live in those areas. The aforementioned vehicles are permanently prohibited on Red Canyon Road (County Road 115), Colorado Mountain College Road (CR 114), Cattle Creek Road (CR 113), Upper Cattle Creek

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Preparations for excavation of the collapsed Harvey Gap Road section are complete, including removal of the asphalt and repair of an unrelated drainage culvert nearby. Excavation of the road area is underway to facilitate rebuilding of the road base. Wet dirt below the road will be excavated to rebuild a solid substructure to maintain the new road section’s stabilization. “It is unknown yet exactly how far down we will have to excavate to find dry ground,” said Garfield County Road and Bridge Director, Deb Fiscus, who reported the status of the project to the Garfield County

Harvey Gap Road is open following realignment

Community advisory November 11, 2016 Harvey Gap Road is fully open GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Harvey Gap Road is fully open following realignment, reconstruction and repaving of a damaged section of roadway, which collapsed due to water flowing under the roadway subsection this fall. Garfield County Road and Bridge crews completed the reconstruction in approximately a month from the start of the construction phase, using the philosophy of French drain technology to allow water seepage without further damage to the road. Today variable message boards in the area notify travelers that the road is open. Minor cleanup and revegetation will

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Construction crews have set 900 feet of pipe to relocate an irrigation ditch that runs along the Harvey Gap Road to return water flow for nearby residents, and Garfield County has hired SGM engineering to assess subterranean conditions under the road. A section had collapsed last month due to water coming from an unknown cause. The pipe work was contracted by the Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD), which operates the ditch. The SWCD said it anticipates having the irrigation water flowing again sometime next week, after it was shut off shortly following the collapse. The pipe

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners approved spending up to $100,000 in emergency funds to match Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD) funds for immediate repairs to a ditch that conveys water released from Harvey Gap Reservoir to water users on Silt Mesa today. Emergency funds are committed by both agencies, as SWCD and Garfield County continue jointly seeking immediate solutions to providing water to agricultural users, and to repair the severely damaged county road for access to Harvey Gap State Park and north side ranches. SWCD announced late today it is retaining Con-Sy at a

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – A stretch of County Road 237 will remain closed indefinitely near Harvey Gap State Park, while an investigation is underway to determine the cause of a collapse that left the integrity of the roadway compromised. Garfield County and the Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD), which operates nearby Harvey Gap Reservoir, are working together to address the impacts to the roadway. For safety purposes, Garfield County Road and Bridge has barricaded the road between Odin Drive and the swimming beach at Harvey Gap, north of Silt. The substructure under the road collapsed Sunday evening, due to yet

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – A road north of Silt that leads to Harvey Gap State Park will remain closed for public safety, while officials determine what caused the subgrade to collapse before it was closed Sunday evening. The Harvey Gap Road (County Road 237) has been closed off to traffic between Odin Drive and the swimming beach, after the substructure sluiced away due to yet unknown circumstances, leaving the surface integrity compromised. Travelers cannot access Harvey Gap directly from Silt at this time. The Garfield County Road and Bridge Department is investigating the cause of the damage, and has placed

Harvey Gap Road closed

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – The Harvey Gap Road was closed at approximately 7:00 PM today from Odin Drive to the Harvey Gap swim Beach. The road was damaged and its overall integrity compromised due to a leak in a ditch that leads out of the reservoir. It is unknown at this time how long the closure will last. Road and Bridge has been notified and will be assessing the road damage and developing a course of action. People should plan alternative routes east through New Castle or west along the Rifle Gap Reservoir and back through Rifle if the road

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – School has started, and Garfield County is in the process of updating school bus stop warning signs in school districts throughout the county. The goal for the new high-visibility signs is to increase bus stop safety and awareness. The highly reflective lime-green school bus stop signs are placed near bus stops, warning motorists that a school bus and children may be nearby. The design has been updated from previous warning signs and now does not include text, just a descriptive picture showing children entering a bus using vibrant colors depicting a stopped bus with red warning

Update 4/11/15 12:50 pm Garfield County Road and Bridge crews completed repairs to the broken pipe, filled in the excavated hole and reopened the road by the middle of the day Saturday, April 11. Update 4/10/15 4:30 pm Road and bridge excavated the area and found a leaking irrigation pipe. Repair is estimated to be completed by the end of the day on Saturday, April 11. GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – County Road 109 (Hardwick Bridge Road) near Aspen Glen Subdivision closes completely this morning at 7 am due to a sinkhole that developed over the past couple of days. Garfield

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – During September, Garfield County began installing road signs defining public access along historic rights of way in the county. The signs are intended to inform the public where historic routes exist. Garfield County hired Land Acquisitions Manager Glenn Adams six months ago to research and inventory existing public land access points and easements. “In the first stage of this research, Adams is using historic and current documents to identify historic routes,” said Garfield County Attorney Frank Hutfless. “This research of existing easements and access will be used by Garfield County to help assure access to public

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – Roadway safety improvements on a curve in County Road 117 are underway, and drivers may encounter occasional impacts. Information on delays, lane closures, heavy roadside traffic and increased daytime noise levels at times over the duration of the eight-month project will be available in a number of locations to assist those impacted. Motorists are asked to use caution in the area for safety of themselves, road workers and other drivers. Garfield County has hired Gould Construction, Inc. to improve a section on Four Mile Road at County Road 126 (Black Diamond Mine Road), just south of

A several hundred foot section of road has heaved approximately four feet upward on Garfield County Road 215 – Parachute Creek Road. The road is closed, however there is a one lane bypass in the dirt on the shoulder. Garfield County Road and Bridge crews have installed cones and lighted message boards in place at the location. The location is approximately 6.5 miles north on County Road 215, just past Garden Gulch. The damage occurred due to spring melting and the unstable ground in the area. It is anticipated there will be more movement on the hillside. Oil and gas

Update August 19, 2013 JQS Road reopens after rock slide cleared SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has reopened the JQS Road north of Rifle, Colo., which had been closed since Friday, August 16 due to a rock slide. The slide was cleared this weekend. The JQS Road is one of two public access routes to the top of the Roan Plateau. The rockslide was discovered Thursday, close to the base of the plateau about 5 miles west of Colorado Highway 13, where the road begins climbing the steep cliff. SILT, Colo. – The Bureau of Land

GARFIELD COUNTY – Members of a successful public-private partnership gathered today, October 31, at the site of the new I-70 West Parachute Interchange to mark the quickly approaching November 12 completion date before the weather turns. The Colorado Department of Transportation and its contractor, SEMA Construction, began work on March 19 to construct the new interchange at approximately MP 72. Funding for the interchange—which will have a total cost of $12 million—from Environmental Assessment to design and through construction) came from several sources: the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the Town of Parachute, Garfield County, Battlement Mesa

Rifle, CO – Garfield County has constructed and will manage a new facility on land owned by the City of Rifle for residents to deposit recyclable items. The facility is located between Rifle and the west Rifle exit on Highway 6. “We are really excited to see the recycle bins installed,” said Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson. “This will be a great resource in Garfield County for our residents to recycle.” The center was created in response to resident requests for such a facility. The center is now accepting co-mingled glass beverage containers of all colors, recyclable plastics numbered 1-7,

7th Street and Colorado Avenue parking lot The parking lot at 7th Street and Colorado Avenue has been rebuilt and 11 parking spaces have been added. The lot will be open to the public with the only limitation being that vehicles may not be parked for longer than 24 hours. 8th Street and Pitkin Avenue lots The two parking lots at 8th Street and Pitkin Avenue will be restricted to permit parking for county staff only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This should free up an additional 20 public parking places on Pitkin

Two lots at 7th and Colorado The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) took action Monday, August 15, 2011 to reconstruct the existing county/city-owned parking lot at 7th and Colorado in downtown Glenwood. The BOCC voted to allocate $62,500 for curb and gutter construction, new subsurface preparation and paving, as well as landscaping for this lot, which is already in use for public parking. Once construction is complete, the new county lot shown in the photo above at the left will be joined with the existing co-owned city/county lot shown above at right, and both will be available for

County Road 100 closure

Monday evening, July 18, brought a cloudburst over the lower section of County Road 100 (Catherine Store Road), causing several debris flows. The Garfield County Road and Bridge Department sent out crews to areas where debris had collected on road sections, making them impassable. An estimated three feet of small diameter hail fell in the area. The county will examine the damage in the coming weeks and culvert and road repair will follow, with traffic delays expected.

2:15 pm – July 13, 2011 Red Canyon Road (County Road 115) has been reopened for travel. Advisory: the road was sprayed with magnesium chloride and will be drying in the next few hours. 5 pm – July 12, 2011 The Red Canyon Road closure is still in effect. Rain today has caused water runoff again, and while most of the rock clearing from the roadway is completed, wet conditions are causing the closure to continue. If the rain lessens, it is likely the road will open midday on Wednesday, July 13. 4:20 pm – July 11, 2011 Red Canyon

Local residents have started picking up sand bags from the District 2-3 Road and Bridge shop on Hunter Mesa in preparation for a heavy runoff. Around 400 bags filled with sand have already been given out for high water protection. Garfield County citizens can obtain 20 full sand bags or 50 empty ones from the county for free. Sand and bags are available for purchase from Roaring Fork Valley Co-Op, at Lowe’s and at Mr. T’s Hardware & Building Supply. “We’re up and running, and have had people come in and pick up both empty and full bags,” said Garfield

The princess of transportation in Carbondale is going in for a facelift. The pink-hued Satank Bridge that has spanned the Roaring Fork River since 1900 will be measured, detailed and catalogued before leaving her post for a few months, and then will be back in black to represent in glory what she truly is — the last remaining timber wagon truss in Colorado from the 19th century. As such, she ranks among the state’s most important early spans, according to Colorado Preservationist magazine. With a send-off this week by the Garfield County Commissioners, Assistant County Engineer Jeff Nelson, and other

Garfield County annexes section of CR 335 to New Castle

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO – A section of County Road 335 has been annexed to the town of New Castle, which will now assume all responsibility of the roadway, including maintenance. The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the town this week. The stretch of CR335, which is a two-lane road that lies south of the Colorado River, runs parallel to Interstate 70 in a portion of the town. The county had owned the right-of-way where the road is located. Those easement rights were transferred to the town. New Castle Town Council approved the move

Work to improve Buford-New Castle Road commences

Improvements planned for Buford-New Castle Road

Garfield County providing sandbags for flood mitigation

Cottonwood Pass closed for winter season

What to expect during winter maintenance

Path connecting Riverview School to the community open

Red Canyon Road closed for 90 days

Red Canyon Road closed for safety

Garfield County achieves success with capital projects

County Road and Bridge building goes solar

CDOT unveils I-70 truck driver safety video

Red Hill recreation area officially reopened

Winter maintenance

Road restrictions for Cottonwood Pass, Four Mile area

Excavation begins for repairs to Harvey Gap Road

Harvey Gap Road is open following realignment

Construction underway near Harvey Gap Road damage

Garfield County Commissioners make 50 percent match up to $100,000, and order emergency measures

Harvey Gap Road closed indefinitely

Extended closure possible for Harvey Gap Road

Harvey Gap Road closed

New bus stop signs have higher reflectivity

Sinkhole closes County Road 109 today

Garfield County research identifies historic routes and public rights of way

Safety improvements on County Road 117

County Road 215 – Parachute Creek Road advisory

County Road 215 – Parachute Creek Road advisory

Rock slide – road reopened

Ribbon cutting marks upcoming November opening of new I-70 West Parachute Interchange

Recycling Center opens near Rifle

County completes parking lot construction in downtown Glenwood Springs

County continues parking lot projects with vote to reconstruct existing lot

County Road 100 closure

Intense thunderstorms July 10 close roads

County monitors and prepares for high water conditions in spring runoff season

Reigning historic wagon bridge will serve the community again

Garfield County annexes section of CR 335 to New Castle