The 21-day closure required by Colorado Department of Transportation is being pushed back by one week. The closure will now start at 9:00 a.m., Monday, October 30 and last until 9:00 a.m., Monday, November 20. This decision was made to ensure the crews had sufficient preparations completed before impacting the public and the team could successfully reopen the highway in the 21-day timeframe. The new schedule will not impact the Otero Ditch Canal, and water will still be able to start running November 15.

The bridge replacement work will occur on US 350 between mile posts 59.5 and 72. The structure, which spans over the Otero Ditch Canal, is located three miles southwest of the US 50 junction in La Junta.

Closing US 350 for 21-days will minimize construction duration by saving approximately two months of a single lane structure detour, decrease project costs, prevent unnecessary disturbance to the Otero Ditch Canal, allow crews to get in and out of the area quicker, and increase crew and motorist safety. A detour will be in place.

Variable message boards, signs and construction devices will be present alerting motorists of the closure and detour route. The closure/detour provides minimal construction impacts and will prevent unnecessary disturbance to the Otero Ditch Canal. The closure is part of the Region 2 Bridge Bundle project that began in 2022.