Million Dollar Highway

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View of the drive heading north towards Ouray with the characteristic precipitous lack of shoulder

View of Twilight Peak from the Highway

The Million Dollar Highway stretches for 75 miles in western Colorado in the United States and follows the route of US 550 between Ouray and Durango, Colorado. Though the entire stretch has been called the Million Dollar Highway, it is really the first twelve miles south of Ouray through the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass which gains the highway its name. The stretch through the gorge is characterized by steep cliffs and the lack of guardrails, and the ascent of Red Mountain Pass is characterized by the number of hairpin "S" curves used to gain elevation. During this ascent, the remains of the Idarado Mine are visible. Travel north from Silverton to Ouray allows drivers to hug the inside of curves; travel south from Ouray to Silverton perches drivers on the vertiginous outside edge of the highway. Large RVs travel in both directions, which adds a degree of excitement (or danger) to people in cars.

The origin of the name Million Dollar Highway is disputed. There are several legends of its origin from "it cost a million dollars a mile" to build back in the 20's to it contains "a million dollars" in gold ore in the fill dirt.

[edit] History

The original road was a toll road built by Otto Mears in 1883 to connect Ouray and Ironton. Another toll road was built over Red Mountain Pass from Ironton to Silverton. In the late 1880's Otto Mears turned to building railroads and built the Silverton Railroad north from Silverton over Red Mountain Pass to reach the lucrative mining districts around Red Mountain, terminating at Albany just eight miles south of Ouray. The remaining eight miles were considered too difficult and steep for a railroad. At one point a cog railroad was proposed, but it never made it beyond the planning stage.

In the early 1920's, the original toll road was rebuilt at considerable cost and became the present day US 550. Today the entire route is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.

[edit] Mountain Passes

The Million Dollar highway crosses three mountain passes

• Red Mountain Pass, elevation 11,018 ft. (3358 m)
• Molas Pass, elevation 10,910 ft. (3325 m)
• Coal Bank Pass, elevation 10,640 ft. (3243 m)

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