Colorado Highways:
Other Auxiliary Routes

These are marked highways in Colorado that are other forms auxiliary routes: Truck, Bypass, Old, etc. Some of these routes are marked with state route markers but are not part of the state highway system.

Colored Table Format

White

State-owned

Pink

Not part of state highway system
Blue
 Defunct / no longer signed


13
Rifle

Length: 0.6mi
S End: Jct US 6/SH 13 at Railroad Ave/1st St. in Rifle
N End: Jct SH 13 north of downtown Rifle

Roadway Names: Railroad Avenue

Notes: This route is not state maintained.

Guide:
After coming north from I-70 Exit 90, SH 13 meets US 6 on the south side of downtown. SH 13 turns west along US 6/1st St. then comes north on a state-maintained bypass to the west of downtown. At the US 6 intersection, northbound SH 13 truck traffic is told to turn left to use the bypass while straight ahead via Railroad Ave. through downtown is marked as "To SH 13 Meeker". The intent of course is to get truck traffic out of downtown while still advising cars they can go through downtown. Southbound all through traffic is directed to use the bypass.

Photo Gallery:

  • Through Traffic Has Two Ways to SH 13. Signage on northbound SH 13 approaching US 6. Trucks are told to turn left on US 6 to use the bypass west of Rifle, while other traffic can continue straight ahead on Railroad Avenue through downtown. (July 2005)

History:
Bypass opened by 1985.

Main SH 13 listing

Truck
50
Montrose

Length: 1.3mi
W End: Jct US 50 at Townsend Ave./San Juan Ave. northwest of downtown Montrose
E End: Jct US 50 at Main St./San Juan Ave. northeast of downtown Montrose

Roadway Names: San Juan Ave.

History:
In the 1990s Montrose built the San Juan Ave bypass to route truck traffic away from downtown, as US 50 passed through Montrose by coming southeast on Townsend Ave. then turning northeast on Main St. Montrose marked San Juan Ave as an "Alt Truck 50". In May 2010 CDOT rerouted US 50 onto San Juan Ave and extended US 550 north to San Juan, while Main St from Townsend to San Juan was turned back to the city.

Main US 50 listing

Truck
50
Lamar

Length: 0.5mi
W End: Jct US 50/287 at Main St./Maple St. north of downtown Lamar
E End: Jct US 50/385 at Olive St./2nd St. east of downtown Lamar

Roadway Names: Maple Street and 2nd Street

Notes: This route is not state maintained.

Guide:
US 50 passes through Lamar by coming south on Main St. then turning east on Olive St. An "Alt Truck 50" is marked in Lamar by turning east on Maple St. then south of 2nd St., passing northeast of downtown and hooking up with US 50 on either side of it. Thanks to Steve Riner for the info.

Photo Gallery:
  • Southbound on US 50-287 approaching Maple St, this sign assembly shows the start of the eastbound US 50 truck route. The sign includes US 385 since US 50 picks up US 385 heading east out of town. (May 2011)
  • The truck route includes a turn at Maple and 2nd Streets. This view shows it looking east on Maple, with the overhead coal conveyors of Lamar's power plant visible. (May 2011)
  • Truck Route US 50-287. Westbound on US 50-385 in Lamar approaching 2nd Street. Here two signs direct truckers onto US 50's truck bypass. The signs here include US 287 since US 50 picks up US 287 heading north out of town. Photo by Steve Riner. (July 2005)

OLD
133
Bowie

Length*: 3.92mi
W End: Jct SH 133 west of Bowie
E End: Jct SH 133 between Bowie and Somerset

Notes:
"Old 133" is not an official name for this route, as it is not marked as anything out in the field other than a "<- Bowie" sign on mainline SH 133 and a couple "Bowie Road" street name signs put up by Delta County.

Annual Average Daily Traffic (2008):

  • 1300 at west SH 133 jct
  • 970 at east SH 133 jct

Guide:
SH 133 has a bypass which passes to the south of the coal mining enclave of Bowie, crossing over to the south bank of the Gunnison River North Fork. The bypass takes SH 133 around a windy, narrow section of road with several high-skew railroad crossings and crossings of overhead coal conveyors, leaving that duty to the "old" route.

Photo Gallery:

  • Bowie Mine Coal Towers and Overhead Conveyor. Two pictures of infrastructure of the Bowie coal mine. The first shows coal towers and conveyors as the coal is brought down from the mountainside, and the second shows the overhead coveyor crossing Old 133 to get to the rail line. (August 2009)
  • Old 133. Westbound on old 133 east of Bowie. Note it's not in very good shape. (August 2009)

History:
The bypass route does not show up on most maps, but it was built in 1991. For some reason CDOT didn't put the old route through Bowie on the state payroll until 2002.

Main SH 133 listing

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Page created 1 August 2005
Last updated 10 July 2011

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