Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 7:00–11:00 PM MST
Archuleta County has issued an important notice regarding a planned communications outage TONIGHT that is expected to affect cellular service and internet connectivity throughout the Pagosa Springs area.
Why is this happening?
CenturyLink/Lumen must temporarily cut and splice the main fiber-optic line between Pagosa Springs and Durango to allow CDOT to proceed with emergency repairs along the Highway 160/151 corridor.
Recent flooding exposed a fiber-optic conduit that is preventing critical roadway repairs from moving forward. This planned work is intended to protect the communications infrastructure from an unexpected outage while allowing CDOT to continue its efforts to reopen the highway corridor as quickly as possible.
What to Expect During the Outage
Thursday, November 12 | 7:00–11:00 PM
Cellular Service: Little to no cell coverage is expected.
Internet Service: CenturyLink, Zito, and Clearnetworx internet connections are expected to be unavailable.
Visionary Broadband: Service will operate through a backup microwave connection but may be significantly slower due to increased demand.
Residents and motorists in Archuleta County should prepare for temporary disruptions to cellular service, internet, basic communication services, local 911 communications, and traffic along Highway 160. Cellular service, internet, and local 911 communications are expected to be impacted for approximately 3–4 hours.
During this interruption, 911 calls will be rerouted to Durango Dispatch to maintain emergency communications. Residents should be aware that cellular service disruptions may affect their ability to place calls.
Additionally, Highway 160 will see traffic delays at mile marker 134 beginning at 7pm to accommodate the infrastructure work. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, anticipate travel delays, and avoid the affected area when possible.
Please Plan Ahead
Residents and businesses are encouraged to prepare for limited communications during the scheduled outage. Businesses that rely on internet connectivity for payment processing, reservations, communications, or other essential operations should make arrangements in advance.
Please share this information with employees, customers, neighbors, and others who may be affected.
We appreciate the continued efforts of CDOT, utility providers, and emergency response partners as our community works toward restoring critical infrastructure and reopening our highways.
Sandy Douthey is Executive Director at the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce.