New US 50 Alignment In Montrose, CO

[thenetwork]

I had heard just a study about it the first of the year, but it looks like CDOT quietly approved, and re-routed US-50 in the Montrose, CO area as of June 1st(?):

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110768293730516917069.000488a31f8e0e179b133&ll=38.486382,-107.875957&spn=0.058854,0.153637&z=13

From the Northwest (Grand Junction): US 50/N. Townsend Avenue enters Montrose, as normal, but US 50 East now turns left at San Juan Avenue instead of following N. Townsend to Main Street in downtown Montrose. (Blue Route on the map link above).

(Prior to this realignment, San Juan Avenue between N. Townsend and E. Main was the recommended "Truck Bypass" for US 50 and was signed as such).

As a result of the US-50 realignment:

*US-550/S. Townsend Avenue (The Green Route on the map link) has now been extended about another mile and now ends at the intersection of N. Townsend and San Juan Avenue.

*What was the segment of US-50/E. Main Street (Red Route on map link) has now been de-comissioned.

*The easternmost segment of CO-90 still ends at the intersection of Main & Townsend.

The official BGSs in the center of Downtown Montrose now direct all US-550 and CO-90 Traffic to US 50 East via N. Townsend instead of E. Main, which is a WTF, considering the signs could just be re-labeled as "TO 50 EAST" along E. Main and it would save unfamiliar travelers about a mile or so of backtracking.

I will be getting pix of the confusing signage in the next day or so, since CDOT could've done a MUCH better job at noting the new alignments.

[usends]

I'd be interested in using any photos you get for usends.com

CDOT petitioned AASHTO for this change back in April, and AASHTO's Special Committee on Route Numbering accepted the proposal at their May meeting.  Signage was changed on June 1, and since then there have been a couple articles in the local paper.  One of the interesting points they made is that eastbound traffic coming into town and wanting to get to Ouray is now directed to make a right turn (onto San Juan), instead of straight ahead on Main, and then left.  Not only is this counter-intuitive, but it also adds an extra two miles to the drive.  Apparently that sign has already been changed, but I don't know exactly what they changed.  Apparently they're going to change more than one sign in the area:
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/10/news/doc4c103b9aaf9c2154020298.txt
Initially I wondered why the state didn't keep Main as "Spur 50" or "Spur 550", but now I see part of the reason the City wanted ownership of Main is so they could close it to traffic at will (see the articles below).

June 2: a couple photos
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/02/news/doc4c05ef6305d71367472547.txt

June 3: controversial directions to Ouray
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/03/news/doc4c0714d6b0595329089754.txt

June 4: closing Main St
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/04/news/doc4c087c425ba64734502284.txt

June 6: more on Main St
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/06/opinion/editorials/doc4c0b12781b49c354853364.txt

June 10: still more on Main
http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/06/10/news/doc4c103b294fed7538800145.txt

[agentsteel53]

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newspapers: using outright trickery to cling to life.

[tmthyvs]

One of the interesting points they made is that eastbound traffic coming into town and wanting to get to Ouray is now directed to make a right turn (onto San Juan), instead of straight ahead on Main, and then left.  Not only is this counter-intuitive, but it also adds an extra two miles to the drive.  Apparently that sign has already been changed, but I don't know exactly what they changed. 

Anytime I go through from Gunnison to Ouray I turn left on Hillcrest Dr. and take that to Niagara. It uses city streets but is even shorter (and faster) than the old Main Street alignment because you cut off a ton of lights on Main and Townsend.

[thenetwork]

I'd be interested in using any photos you get for usends.com

CDOT petitioned AASHTO for this change back in April, and AASHTO's Special Committee on Route Numbering accepted the proposal at their May meeting.  Signage was changed on June 1, and since then there have been a couple articles in the local paper.

Gotta get down there tomorrow with the camera...I'll try to get what is up now, sign-wise, and give it another month to see if they clarify even more. But even when I went thru the area today, there was still some unclear signage.  I'm glad to see that they plan on improving the logistics of the reroutes for through traffic.

[Rover_0]

Of course, one thing they could do with US-550 and that northwest bend is to keep the northeastern-going route as a state highway to avoid the backtracking driving caused by the re-alignment.

[corco]

Of course, one thing they could do with US-550 and that northwest bend is to keep the northeastern-going route as a state highway to avoid the backtracking driving caused by the re-alignment.

It looks like the intent behind the realignment was that the city of Montrose wanted that route back under local control, otherwise they could just extend SH-90 through town- as is some TO 550 South trailblazers should be sufficient