Rumble strip work starts in southwest and south-central Colorado

News Release

April 28, 2020 - Southwestern Colorado - Safety feature alerts drivers if vehicles drift from lane

The Colorado Department of Transportation and Surface Preparation Technologies will be adding centerline rumble strips along sections of fourteen highways in southwest and south-central Colorado. The work will begin in early May and be completed by the beginning of June 2020. Work will not take place on Sundays and during the Memorial Day weekend, May 22 – 25.

A total of 268 miles of roadway will be improved with the installation of centerline rumble strips along segments of the following highways: Colorado Highways 90, 97, 141, 184, 172, 151, 114, 15, 136, 368, 370, and 150; and U.S. Highways 160 and 550. The highways are located in several counties, including Alamosa, Archuleta, Canejos, Costillo, Dolores, Huerfano, Montrose, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel, La Plata, and Saguache.

Beginning on Monday, May 4, construction will start at the Utah border in Montrose County. Crews will install centerline rumble strips and restripe existing center lines along sections of CO 97 from mile point (MP) 1 to 4; CO 90 from MP 0 to 34; CO 141 from MP 0 to 16; CO 184 from MP 0 to 26; U.S. Highway 550 from MP 33 to 46; CO 172 from MP 10 to 18; and CO 114 from MP 8 to 20. Construction will proceed in a southern and eastern direction along remaining highways — a map showing all highway sections to be worked on can be found at: CDOT SW-SE CO Rumble Strip Map.

Rumble strips are an effective measure for reducing roadway departure crashes. Grooves are cut into the pavement which cause a vibration and rumbling sound when the tires of a moving vehicle come in contact with the cut pavement. The noise and vibration produced by rumble strips alert drivers when they leave the travel lane. Centerline rumble strips reduce head-on collisions and cross-over crashes, while shoulder rumble strips reduce run-off-the-road crashes and warn drivers when they have drifted from their lane.

TRAVEL IMPACTS

  • Short-duration single lane closures with delays from 5-15 minutes

  • No single lane closure will exceed one mile, however motorists may encounter multiple closures along stretches of highway to allow the work convoy to continue while the previous closure is removed for this mobile operation

  • Flaggers may direct and hold traffic causing minor temporary delays

  • The rumble strip operation is mobile, motorists are advised to slow down and use caution at all times while approaching the moving equipment convoy

  • Motorists should stay in their lanes and avoid passing unnecessarily to prevent fresh oil and fresh paint from getting on their vehicles. Pay close attention to message boards, signs indicating “fresh oil” and “fresh paint,” and cones placed on center lines within all works zones

  • No construction is planned for Sundays 

  • No construction will take place over the Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25

PROJECT INFORMATION

For additional information about this project, contact the project team.

Project hotline: 888-212-0176

Email: [email protected]

Project web page: www.codot.gov/projects/swcolorado-rumblestrips 

Project information plan and web map: CDOT SW-SE CO Rumble Strip Map

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

  • Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.

  • Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.

  • Watch for workers. Drive with caution.

  • Don't change lanes unnecessarily.

  • Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.

  • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.

  • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.

  • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.

  • Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.

  • Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.

  • Be patient!

COVID-19 

Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, construction continues on CDOT projects with social distancing and other health safety measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO and practice social distancing, wear face masks, stay at home when possible, and avoid nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely.

WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY.  

To heighten safety awareness, CDOT recently announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative. This project takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization's operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely.

ABOUT CDOT

CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated inter-regional express service. Gov. Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s multimodal mobility options.