US 160 and CO 151 Closures Disrupt Southern Colorado Travel

Back-to-back floods have severely damaged southern Colorado roadways, forcing extended closures on two major highways that state transportation officials say will take an extended period of time to repair.

Drivers and residents in the region should brace for prolonged disruptions after high water washed out sections of asphalt and collapsed key infrastructure earlier this week. The Colorado Department of Transportation confirmed Saturday that Colorado 151 is closed south of Chimney Rock, while two separate stretches of US 160 are shut down both east and west of Pagosa Springs. State officials have not provided a timeline for when the roads will reopen.

The damage spans a 30-mile corridor of US 160 between Pagosa Springs and Durango. Within that stretch, the Piedra River Bridge about 18 miles west of Pagosa Springs collapsed completely. Transportation crews plan to build a temporary bridge once site conditions permit, but a permanent replacement will require reconstruction next year.

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Flooding also ripped through the Wolf Creek Pass area between Pagosa Springs and South Fork, damaging US 160 in at least four places. Meanwhile, the southern route fared no better, with high water washing out sections of Colorado 151 just south of its junction with US 160.

The only way in and out of Pagosa Springs is via US 84, which forces motorists through New Mexico and significantly increases travel times. That route is also feeling the strain of the weather events; CDOT reported that crews are repairing and stabilizing two damaged areas along US 84, where drivers will encounter flagging personnel and temporary light signals.

US 160 and CO 151 Closures Disrupt Southern Colorado Travel

Inside Pagosa Springs, municipal streets remain inundated with water, prompting transportation officials to urge all non-local drivers to avoid the downtown area entirely.

The state agency recently secured $6.5 million from the Federal Highway Administration alongside $5 million in state funds for emergency repairs. Those funds are aimed at addressing an estimated $65 million in total damage inflicted across Colorado 151, US 160, and US 550 during the initial round of flooding.