"Blue Mesa Reservoir Bridge Closure Sparks Major Detour in Colorado"

The bridge over Blue Mesa Reservoir on U.S. Highway 50 in Colorado has been indefinitely closed due to a 3- to 4-inch crack in a steel beam, prompting a significant impact on traffic and emergency services. The closure, urged by federal highway officials, has left no available routes for emergency vehicles or local traffic to travel from Gunnison to Montrose without taking 300-mile detours that will take six to seven hours. The Colorado Department of Transportation is working to inspect the severity of the defects and find alternative routes for commuters, while Governor Jared Polis has been in touch with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about the closure.