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Road Closed Indefinitely Over Red Mountain Pass

OURAY, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Department of Transportation says U.S. Highway 550 over Red Mountain Pass will remain closed indefinitely while workers are being brought in by helicopter to fix damage caused by a rock fall.

The department says a helicopter made two trips Thursday carrying workers who are fixing the highway. Crews are bringing rocks down by hand to make the highway safe.

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. A 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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