Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass could reopen this weekend as SW Colorado digs out from major flooding

The Colorado Department of Transportation said Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass could reopen, at least partially, as early as this weekend as southwest Colorado communities have been cut off from key routes damaged by flooding.

CDOT said it has about 15 emergency work zones across five different highways following two flood events that impacted the region in a two-week span. Right now, CDOT said maintenance crews and contractors have been working around the clock to reopen critical roads, prioritizing Highway 160 between Pagosa Springs and South Fork.

As of Nov. 10, three highways remain fully closed: US 160 Wolf Creek Pass, US 160 at the Piedra River Bridge and CO 151 south of Chimney Rock Monument.

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The department said it plans to partially open Wolf Creek Pass this weekend after floods destroyed several spots along the 26-mile mountain corridor. CDOT said crews need to stabilize highway shoulders, mitigate rockfall and put in protective barriers before the roadway is safe to reopen. Once reopened within a week, CDOT said drivers will see one-lane alternating traffic through several work zones.

CDOT said crews are rebuilding damaged areas of Highway 151 to reconnect Durango and Pagosa Springs by Thanksgiving. Floodwaters completely washed out two segments of the road south of Chimney Rock Monument, damaging drainage infrastructure along a three-mile stretch of highway. CDOT said restoring this bypass is critical for access through southwest Colorado and will eliminate the need for a detour through New Mexico, cutting the current drive from Durango to Pagosa Springs from 3.5 hours to about 1.5 hours.

Other repairs will take longer, including replacing the washed-away section of the Highway 160 bridge over the Piedra River. CDOT said the bridge needs to be completely rebuilt. Crews said a contractor has begun prepping the site, removing parts of the old bridge and building a temporary bridge. The temporary bridge is expected to be installed by January 2027, with a permanent bridge expected by the end of 2027.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said teams are doing preliminary damage assessments across Archuleta, Conejos, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma and Rio Grande counties through Thursday. DHSEM said the assessments are the first step required for the state to determine whether a major disaster declaration can be requested by the governor to FEMA.

CDOT said it has been approved for $6.5 million in federal quick-release funds from the Federal Highway Administration and $5 million from the state Transportation Commission's contingency fund.

The federal money is a portion of CDOT's $65 million request to the FHWA for estimated damage, which the agency said could now exceed $100 million after the second flood.

In Pagosa Springs, most of Main Street was spared from flooding and businesses are ready to welcome back visitors.

"Those same people who live here also work here, and so their jobs are also very important. So while their livelihood has largely been impacted in their home, their job likely is impacted. So it's important that the visitation continues and that we're open," said Tom Sottek, president of the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce.

At The Springs Resort, Jesse Hensle, vice president of marketing, said the new wellness pools that opened around June of last year were never affected by the flood. But the second round of flooding was unlike anything the resort had experienced.

"There are feet and feet of mud that were deposited over by the other pools, and we're still currently digging that out," Hensle said. "There's about 20 employees over there shoveling, moving the mud around, and then power washing."

Hensle said the resort has lost over $350,000 in business during the end of October through November.

"We're open, we're accepting business, and we're really asking for people to come down and patronize the businesses," said Hensle. "You can literally have a whole entire resort to yourself at this point in time. And I can guarantee you that's a rare experience around here. So right now is probably one of the best times to ever come to the resort."

At Riff Raff Brewing Company, owner Jason Cox said his building stayed dry, but the business has had to overcome weeks without power and water.

"We are a brewery, so we are hauling water from our another building we own in town, and we're putting it into a big tank and pumping it into our main system, and we actually have water for our building," said Cox.

Cox said the flood cost his business around $35,000 to $50,000 but said they're banking on winter tourism to keep businesses afloat.

"We're open. We're here. We have a community of dedicated, you know, highly educated mountain rednecks, I would say we are," Cox said. "And we have plenty of beer, so we're doing alright."

Both Cox and Hensle said they're thrilled Wolf Creek Pass could reopen soon, welcoming more visitors to town without lengthy detours.

"I did a little happy dance when we heard that 160 could be open as soon as this weekend," said Hensle.