Red Hill rockfall work to resume on Monday on Highway 82 near Carbondale

Rockfall mitigation work along Colorado Highway 82 near Red Hill in Carbondale is expected to resume on Monday as crews return to complete the final stages of the project.

The work will take place between mile points 11.7 and 12.2, east of the Colorado 82/Colorado 133 intersection. Crews are expected to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Colorado Department of Transportation Northwest Colorado Regional Communications Manager Chuck Marsh. He said weekend work is possible but has not yet been confirmed.

Marsh said the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. work window is intended to avoid the busiest parts of the morning and evening commute.

“We wanted them starting after most of the traffic had made their way through and then finishing off before the evening traffic,” he said.

The project is expected to take up to two weeks, though he said CDOT hopes the remaining work can be completed sooner.

“We’re doing all we can do to best work with the traffic because we know it’s heavy on 82 even on good days,” he said.

The project, a partnership between CDOT and contractor Rock Supremacy, began in mid-May 2025 and entered a winter shutdown in November after crews reached a safe stopping point. 

Crews had already installed about 85,000 square feet of mesh netting before the shutdown, with about 30,000 square feet still needed to complete the system. Marsh said all blasting, scaling, drilling and installation of rock anchors and posts was completed last year.

“This is just the final stages,” he said.

To finish the work more quickly, crews will use a helicopter to help lift and place the heavy metal mesh netting. During helicopter operations, both northbound and southbound traffic will be stopped for safety.

Drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes during helicopter work. Flaggers will be on site, and the speed limit through the work zone will be reduced to 45 mph.

“We don’t want anybody underneath when a helicopter is lifting up these big, heavy metal mesh nettings,” Marsh said.

The project’s safety improvements include culvert cleaning, rock scaling, installation of 100 anchors, 21 posts and a total of about 115,000 square feet of mesh netting once completed. Crews will then complete safety assessments before wrapping up the project.

Dates and times could change depending on weather or other project conditions.