Bridge closure creates traffic trouble for Gunnison County

A bridge on US Highway 50 located between Gunnison and Montrose was immediately shut down by the state's transportation department in both directions of travel after a safety inspection revealed cracking.

After an ongoing safety inspection, the Federal Highway Administration and state bridge engineering experts urged the Colorado Department of Transportation to close the bridge. CDOT closed US 50 between Highway 92 and milepost 138 and only local traffic is allowed through the closure point to reach residences.

"They shut the bridge down indefinitely and it is the only road between Gunnison and Montrose and will affect travel," said Gunnison County Sheriff Adam Murdie. "It's a very heavily used road, especially for emergency services, transports from the small Gunnison hospital and we have transports that go to Montrose and Grand Junction for treatment."

CDOT directed travelers to plan an alternate route. The inspection was required because bridges around the country with similar structures have known issues, said CDOT.

A defect was first observed during an early investigation and CDOT immediately conducted a second inspection and performed another testing method to determine if the defect posed a safety hazard on the bridge. The second inspection took place on Thursday.