Colorado transportation officials will close the scenic, stomach-churning highway over Independence Pass this weekend before a winter storm and may keep it closed for the rest of the season.

The Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Avalanche Information Center will close Colorado 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes at 4 p.m. Saturday, CDOT said in a news release Thursday night.

Winter weather is forecast to bring high winds and snow to the pass, which reaches 12,095 feet as it crosses the Continental Divide.

Crews will evaluate conditions Tuesday morning to see if the pass can reopen or will start its winter closure, state officials said.

Independence Pass typically closes for the season in late October or early November, with the latest closure in the past decade taking plac

See Full Page