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Rocks Still Rolling Onto US 550 South Of Ouray

OURAY, Colo. (AP) - Rocks continue to tumble down onto U.S. 550 south of Ouray (yoo-RAY'), and the Colorado Department of Transportation says the road will remain closed through the weekend.

CDOT says a 4-by-2-foot rock put a 6-inch hole in the road surface on Wednesday.

The highway has been closed in both directions since Monday.

Rocks began tumbling onto the road Sunday evening, and by Monday the rock fall was described as continuous.

The closure severs the only direct route from Ouray to Silverton, normally a 70-mile drive over Red Mountain Pass. The detour, over Dallas Divide and Lizard Head Pass, adds nearly 100 miles to the trip.

CDOT says an average of 2,200 vehicles a day use Red Mountain Pass.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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