Gunnison businesses excited as Highway 50 bridge construction nears completion on Colorado's Western Slope

The U.S. Highway 50 bridge over the Blue Mesa Reservoir closed to traffic in April when concerns arose about whether driving across was safe. Repairs have been underway since then, impacting a significant number of residents and businesses. 

It's been a painful few months for Drew Wiliambrown, Manager/Owner of 5B's BBQ, who said he first noticed an issue with his restaurant on Memorial Day weekend. 

"Our numbers were about half," Wiliambrown said. "I talked to the other restaurants around here and they were around the same area... we were all waiting for that pop to kinda come with traffic and everything that comes with it, but it just wasn't that."

Wiliambrown said while he can't point with 100% certainty to one cause, he believes you can not ignore the bridge closure along Highway 50 over Blue Mesa Reservoir, cutting his town off from other local southwestern Colorado towns, or at least adding significant time with a detour. The most painful is when people don't bother to look further into where the closure is, and if they would still actually be able to get where they are going regardless of the closure. 

"Highway 50 is our lifeblood so when people say it is cut off, they can't come here, that affects us. Just people driving through town to eat here it is tough."

The Colorado Department of Transportation said in a release that the first phase of repairs is complete, emergency vehicles and those in smaller vehicles can start crossing over the US 50 Middle Bridge at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 3. County Road 26 will remain open and maintained as a detour, and Kebler Pass is now open as well, as a seasonal route. 

"Over the course of the holiday weekend, the bridge will be open for 12 hours a day, which we hope encourages tourism in this area as these communities are still very much open for business,"  CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said in a written statement. "Starting on July 8, we will settle into a twice-a-day opening schedule to allow crews to continue to work on repairs throughout the day."

Still, the day when the bridge is fully open will be one Wiliambrown anxiously awaits along with the changes he expects to see at his BBQ joint. 

"Uptick in things, people understanding they can get here," Wiliambrown said. "That would be huge for us."