One of Summit County’s top priorities for road reconstruction will see crews start working July 7. Swan Mountain Road, a well-traveled roadway on the southeast side of the Dillon Reservoir, will have alternating single-lane traffic between July 7-11 and a full closure from July 14-18.

The timing of construction on Swan Mountain, considered to be one of the county’s most important roads though it was rated as in poor condition, was uncertain as Summit County prepared the 2025 budget. Commissioners included $6.5 million for Swan Mountain in case the county did not receive a federal grant.

The county expected to hear whether or not it would receive a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant, which was expected to contribute up to $20 million to the project, at the end of June.

Summit County communications director Adrienne Saia Isaac wrote in a text message that the federal government paused the grant announcements indefinitely. Isaac wrote that the county did not want to wait any longer for the grant, especially as the dollars available and parameters had already changed since the end of President Joe Biden’s administration.

“The road needs to be fixed, so we’re moving ahead with the work,” Isaac wrote.

The first phase of reconstruction will start near the Snake River Wastewater Treatment Plant on the north end of Swan Mountain and run to the entrance of the Lowry Campground, according to a news release. 

Construction from Sapphire Point to Farmer’s Korner will take place next summer, the release stated. The entire project will take two to three years, depending on construction timing and weather conditions.

Crews will work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The speed limit will be 25 miles per hour for two weeks, even when crews are not active, according to the release. 

The construction area of Swan Mountain will be closed from 7 a.m. July 14 through 7 p.m. July 18, even when construction is not active. The release also stated closure times and dates are subject to change as county road and bridge workers assess construction progress.

The release warns drivers may encounter uneven lanes, both packed and loose gravel surfaces, limited to no shoulder, missing segments of guardrails, and guardrails of various heights.

Drivers will be able to access the Lowry, Prospector and Windy Point campgrounds and the Sapphire Point Overlook from the Colorado Highway 9 side of Swan Mountain Road.

Cyclists will have to use the recreation path during construction. Find more information about the Swan Mountain construction at SummitCountyCo.gov/swan.