Re: travel time

Don't forget to allow for road work - orange barrels grow everywhere in Colorado in the spring. For example, there is highway work just on the north edge of Ridgway on 550 that can stop traffic for anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. Also, remember that 550 from Durango to Ridgway crosses three high mountain passes, and Red Mountain Pass in particular has around 15 hairpin curves with no guardrails, and will definitely slow you down. figure 2 hours for Durango to Ridgway, without any stops. Also, as you are climbing Red Mountain, think about the Silverton RR route, you can see parts of the grade, particularly from the Chatanooga Curve to the top.

It usually takes me 6 - 7 hours from Ridgway to Denver via 50 and 285, including lunch and gas/potty stops, running about 2 mph over the speed limit. Google's estimate of 7 hours from Durango to Denver is very, very optimistic, I don't think you'd make it any quicker than 8 1/2 without any stops at museums, etc. If you're set on doing it in one day, leave early and plan to arrive late.

Weather can also slow you down. Two weeks ago the section just northeast of Fairplay was shut down for two hours to let plows clear the road, I had to wait for that one (snow) - took me 8 1/2hours from Denver to Ridgway. It definitely takes longer than you would think to travel in the Rockies.

For current road conditions, road work, and real-time photos of key road locations, go to www.cotrip.org. The website is from Colorado Dept. of Transportation.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2015 01:38PM by jgp1843.