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Highway That Connects Silverton, Ouray Will Be Closed Indefinitely

HIGHWAY 550 ouray map
(credit: CBS)

OURAY, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation now say Highway 550 in Southwestern Colorado will be closed indefinitely as rock work continues on steep slopes above the road.

The highway connects Ouray to Silverton.

Highway 550
Highway 550 Rock slide work (credit: CDOT)

Crews were planning to drop netting on the scree field on Red Mountain Pass so they could bring down larger boulders.

The ongoing rock slide started Jan. 12. A giant slab about the size of a football field apparently came loose and crumbled into smaller pieces.

It's unusual for slides to occur in the middle of the winter but the days have been unseasonably warm, setting up a freeze-thaw cycle that contributes to slides.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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