The historic Midland Tunnels on County Road 371 north of Buena Vista will be structurally reinforced through a project slated to begin on April 11th, 2022, requiring temporary closure of a short section of CR371.
The Chaffee County Road and Bridge department is working with the geotechnical/tunneling engineering team from Stantec Consulting Services and contractors from Harrison Western Construction to perform engineered stabilization and rehabilitation of the four Midland tunnels. The project will involve installation of support anchor bolts and consolidated concrete to reinforce the tunnels’ ceilings and walls. Stabilization work is intended to secure and preserve the historic tunnel structure for the coming decades.
The tunnel rehabilitation requires full road closure of ~0.5 miles on CR371 through the work zone at each end of the tunnel portals, running from the intersection with CR375 on the south and turn-off to Bob’s Rock climbing area parking on the north. The closure is scheduled to begin on April 11th and conclude by May 27th (prior to Memorial Day holiday weekend). No traffic of any sort, including bicycle and pedestrian, will be permitted to pass through the tunnels during this time. Closure will be 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, in consideration of public safety and so that equipment can remain in place for the duration of the project.
The CR371 closure should not negatively impact access to Four Mile Recreation Area or trailheads from the south, nor impact access to Bob’s Rock or Elephant Rock from the north, but travelers along CR371 will need to access these areas from either side of the closed tunnel portals.
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