Speakers: Ian Johnson and/or Brendan McGarity (tentative) with FHWA

Topic: US Highway 50 Improvements Project: Little Blue Creek Canyon, Colorado

Abstract: Reconstruction of U.S. Highway 50 through the Little Blue Creek Canyon (halfway between Montrose and Gunnison) is currently underway. The project is being delivered by the Central Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration in partnership with the Colorado DOT as part of the Federal Lands Access Program. This program provides Federal dollars and engineering expertise to help states and local agencies improve roadways that access Federal lands, including National Parks, Forests, Recreation Areas, and Wildlife Refuges. This project includes numerous rock cuts and retaining walls to provide improvements to roadway width and geometry. Portions of the rock cuts are in complex geological terrain. Fill side retaining walls are constructed as Geosynthetic Reinforced Earth walls to reduce the wall footprint and shoring needs. This presentation summarizes the design and construction progress to date on the project.