Durango warns of roadwork delays on County Road 250 and 251

Orange cones are not the whole story on Durango’s northeast side this week. The city’s latest roadwork bulletin flagged County Road 250 and 251 for striping from May 26 to May 28, with flaggers directing traffic, plates already covering manholes and a specific warning for bicyclists moving through the work zone.

That matters for anyone trying to thread a ride, hike shuttle, reservoir run or downtown stop through Southwest Colorado without getting boxed into construction delays. The City of Durango said the weekly Orange Cone Report is meant to alert motorists to projects and events that can slow traffic, and the city said its interactive map on the website and social channels will be updated each week. In late May, that single check-before-you-go step can save time on holiday-week travel, when race traffic, school graduations and the first full push of summer recreation all stack up on the same roads.

The County Road 250/251 work sits inside a larger joint improvement project between the City of Durango and La Plata County. City materials put the estimated cost at $8.8 million, with $4.4 million coming from each government before contingencies and construction management costs. The redesign is aimed at safer travel for pedestrians and multimodal traffic, and it includes a large storm drain system beneath the roadway, a major piece of work that has required careful placement of heavy concrete pipes and inlets.

The corridor has already changed the way drivers move through the area. The Metz Lane and East Animas Road intersection reopened in January after temporary pavement markings and stop signs were put in place, and County Road 251, also known as 32nd Street, has been open to through traffic from Metz Lane and County Road 250. City updates in November said some landscaping and sidewalk work could continue into spring 2026, while earlier notices said storm drain and road construction were expected to finish later in the fall. The city also said the broader project launched in spring 2024 and was expected to wrap in spring 2026.

For now, the practical advice is simple: expect short delays, especially around the striping window, and give County Road 250 and 251 extra space in the plan. The cones may look temporary, but they mark the last stretch of a multi-season rebuild that still affects how people reach neighborhoods, trailheads, local businesses and other destinations on Durango’s northeast edge.