In November of 2022, CDOT gave the County 90 days to remedy structural and safety conditions of the bridge based off a routine report by Stantec completed in October 2022. The County Public Works and Transportation departments, as well as, County Administration have been petitioning the Southern Ute Tribe for right of way access to make these repairs for years to no avail.
Currently, the bridge is being overtaxed by privately owned entities using haul trucks exceeding the current weight limit of seven tons. The County has received noise complaints from local residents due to these haul trucks operating during nighttime hours, and with these challenges the County has no choice but to close the bridge on the lower portion of County Road 500.
Once Tribal approval is received, the County plans to replace the Pagosa Junction Bridge with a prefabricated structure to reduce cost and installation time for service to continue in a timely manner.