Winter Driving
- Thread starter jimmnn
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Summit County U/D: T/A at the tunnel is an 8 vehicle, numerous other accidents being reported, CSP Craig requesting help on Vail Pass as well and CSP Capt being notified.
Now code 18 *Chains for semis and comm vehicles* EB from MM-180 to the summit of the pass.
Jim<
Now code 18 *Chains for semis and comm vehicles* EB from MM-180 to the summit of the pass.
Jim<
Moosemedic
Member
Oh great, another winter of having I-70 closed evertime they see snow.
Any chance of hiring troopers that didn't grow up in California?
How about graduated Driver's Licenses for those of us that understand that 4-wheel go, doesn't mean 4-wheel stop, and other interesting winter driving facts?
Any chance of hiring troopers that didn't grow up in California?
How about graduated Driver's Licenses for those of us that understand that 4-wheel go, doesn't mean 4-wheel stop, and other interesting winter driving facts?
wesm1957
Member
Glad that stuff hasn't hit Michigan yet!!!! I know it is just a matter of time and it will be here. I already have busy scanners with all the accidents here in west Michigan as it is. I always love listening when the first snow hits. Just tonight I heard another roll over accident with personal injury, but usually hear of one just about every week here.
yooperinco
Member
Moosemedic said:
I agree with ya. Seems like everytime we get 6" of snow, they shut down the highway.
But then again, when people slam on their brakes, stomp on the gas, and don't have a fricken clue how to go around a corner when it snows, I guess Troop is right, it's better to shut it down than have it get shut down.
Moosemedic said:
Absolutley amazing...
GEORGETOWN - Interstate 70 reopened in the Colorado mountains Friday after blowing snow and icy roads forced an overnight shutdown and stranded some travelers.
Rising temperatures melted most of the snow and left the highway -- Colorado's main east-west route -- clear and dry from Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel, about 45 miles to the west.
Some icy spots remained on Vail Pass; about 70 miles west of Denver, said Stacey Stegman, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
A 50-mile stretch of eastbound I-70 was shut down from Vail to Georgetown late Thursday. Westbound traffic was allowed through Georgetown in stages, transportation department spokesman Ryan Drake said.
Fritz Homann of CDOT reported blowing snow and sliding trucks at the Eisenhower Tunnel late Thursday. U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass, an alternate to the tunnel, was closed due to a jackknifed semi trailer.
A winter storm warning was issued through 6 a.m. Saturday for areas including Rabbit Ears Pass, Breckenridge, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Eisenhower Tunnel, a mile-long bore at 11,000 feet above sea level beneath the Continental Divide.
The wintry conditions sent many drivers hunting for rooms Thursday night.
"We're sold out," said Shawn Patel, general manager of the Super 8 Motel in Georgetown. "We probably sold about 40 rooms in the last two hours."
The mountains have been hit with a series of storms this week. Up to 8 inches of snow fell in parts of Western Colorado Wednesday and Thursday.
The ski industry group Colorado Ski Country USA was reporting that Silverton Mountain in southwest Colorado already had 14 inches of snow Thursday; Breckenridge had 12 and Vail 11.
----
A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for Northern Mountains west of Highway 119 and west of the Continental Divide from Rocky Mountain National Park to the Sawatch Range to Summit county and then Rabbit Ears Pass.
9NEWS Meteorologist Marty Coniglio says 12 to 18 inches of new snow is possible in the area with drifting due to northwesterly winds.
A snow and blowing snow advisory is also in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for the Park Range south to the Flattops, Elk Mountains and Western San Juans.
Marty says there could be five to 12 inches of snow in those areas.
Residents around Loveland Pass, Vail Pass, portions of I-70 and Kenosha Pass should stay with 9NEWS and 9NEWS.com for continuing coverage of weather advisories and updates.
There could also be high winds on the eastern plains. Travel will be challenging east of Limon as a storm producing high winds of up to 40 miles-per-hour comes in from the north. Due to this storm parts of eastern Colorado can expect more sprinkling showers.
Showers in the metro area will continue into Friday. A light snow and rain mix is expected Saturday with accumulation expected only in the foothills west of Lakewood.
Rising temperatures melted most of the snow and left the highway -- Colorado's main east-west route -- clear and dry from Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel, about 45 miles to the west.
Some icy spots remained on Vail Pass; about 70 miles west of Denver, said Stacey Stegman, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
A 50-mile stretch of eastbound I-70 was shut down from Vail to Georgetown late Thursday. Westbound traffic was allowed through Georgetown in stages, transportation department spokesman Ryan Drake said.
Fritz Homann of CDOT reported blowing snow and sliding trucks at the Eisenhower Tunnel late Thursday. U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass, an alternate to the tunnel, was closed due to a jackknifed semi trailer.
A winter storm warning was issued through 6 a.m. Saturday for areas including Rabbit Ears Pass, Breckenridge, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Eisenhower Tunnel, a mile-long bore at 11,000 feet above sea level beneath the Continental Divide.
The wintry conditions sent many drivers hunting for rooms Thursday night.
"We're sold out," said Shawn Patel, general manager of the Super 8 Motel in Georgetown. "We probably sold about 40 rooms in the last two hours."
The mountains have been hit with a series of storms this week. Up to 8 inches of snow fell in parts of Western Colorado Wednesday and Thursday.
The ski industry group Colorado Ski Country USA was reporting that Silverton Mountain in southwest Colorado already had 14 inches of snow Thursday; Breckenridge had 12 and Vail 11.
----
A winter storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for Northern Mountains west of Highway 119 and west of the Continental Divide from Rocky Mountain National Park to the Sawatch Range to Summit county and then Rabbit Ears Pass.
9NEWS Meteorologist Marty Coniglio says 12 to 18 inches of new snow is possible in the area with drifting due to northwesterly winds.
A snow and blowing snow advisory is also in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday for the Park Range south to the Flattops, Elk Mountains and Western San Juans.
Marty says there could be five to 12 inches of snow in those areas.
Residents around Loveland Pass, Vail Pass, portions of I-70 and Kenosha Pass should stay with 9NEWS and 9NEWS.com for continuing coverage of weather advisories and updates.
There could also be high winds on the eastern plains. Travel will be challenging east of Limon as a storm producing high winds of up to 40 miles-per-hour comes in from the north. Due to this storm parts of eastern Colorado can expect more sprinkling showers.
Showers in the metro area will continue into Friday. A light snow and rain mix is expected Saturday with accumulation expected only in the foothills west of Lakewood.
lostguy
Member
Troop who decides when to shut down a state highway?, CDOT or CSP. I can remember an incident on I-25 south of Pueblo when CSP wanted to close the road and CDOT supervisor didn't.Troop said:
Moosemedic
Member
I have no doubt it's a major deal to close a highway. My question is WHY?
There are long term residents that have the knowledge, skill and VEHICLES appropriately equipped for winter driving.
We've got Motorcycles endorsements, why not winter driving?
There are graduated licenses for our younger drivers, and restrictions for older one's, why not winter driving?
Vehicles are permitted for contents, locations, and "Rec Truck" plates, why not winter driving?
If it's because the large trucks aren't following the chain law, which is actually quite misleading, hold them responsible. If it's drivers that have street tires, or completely inappropriate vehicles, address that problem. I have owned and driven 4 wheel drive vehicles much longer than it was trendy for these Soccer Mom's in their Excursions, or the SuperFast SUV crowd headed to Aspen / Vail / Summit County etc.
Troop; Maybe you could provide a link to the statistical facts about the number and duration of road closures recently. I would humbly retract my statements, if I saw any evidence that we haven't been closing the roads at an alarmingly frequent rate in recent years.
There are long term residents that have the knowledge, skill and VEHICLES appropriately equipped for winter driving.
We've got Motorcycles endorsements, why not winter driving?
There are graduated licenses for our younger drivers, and restrictions for older one's, why not winter driving?
Vehicles are permitted for contents, locations, and "Rec Truck" plates, why not winter driving?
If it's because the large trucks aren't following the chain law, which is actually quite misleading, hold them responsible. If it's drivers that have street tires, or completely inappropriate vehicles, address that problem. I have owned and driven 4 wheel drive vehicles much longer than it was trendy for these Soccer Mom's in their Excursions, or the SuperFast SUV crowd headed to Aspen / Vail / Summit County etc.
Troop; Maybe you could provide a link to the statistical facts about the number and duration of road closures recently. I would humbly retract my statements, if I saw any evidence that we haven't been closing the roads at an alarmingly frequent rate in recent years.
evergreenwaterman
Member
For Colorado road conditions, I have to believe statistics will show instruction, training, and other mandated requirements will not change the stats for drivers who are lacking attention, following too close, and going too fast for the road conditions....Dave
Actually last night it was semi's not following the code 18 requirement that was the problem and that's even after CSP called out overtime troopers to man the chain up areas and attempt to enforce. Then they leave no choice because they get stuck often sideways on the tunnel grade and completely block traffic.
Don't get me started on who has authority to close the road having lived in Somewhat County for many years and listening to both agencies they both think they have the authority to and rarely if ever communicate directly with each others in others areas of the state you will hear CDOT trucks talking to CSP on NLEC or such but not up that way. CDOT frequently tries to close and CSP says no or the other way around, CSP SGT tried to close like last night and CDOT 5-Paul supervisor says no way.
Jim<
Don't get me started on who has authority to close the road having lived in Somewhat County for many years and listening to both agencies they both think they have the authority to and rarely if ever communicate directly with each others in others areas of the state you will hear CDOT trucks talking to CSP on NLEC or such but not up that way. CDOT frequently tries to close and CSP says no or the other way around, CSP SGT tried to close like last night and CDOT 5-Paul supervisor says no way.
Jim<
Moosemedic
Member
Funny, on Channel 4 this evening at 5 PM, I was watching a live report on the "Winter Storm Warning for the High Country" from the west side of the tunnel. During which a Trooper was explaning how some idiot coming up hill (eastbound approach from the Silvethorne side) managed to hit the guard rail, cross 3 lanes of traffic, hit the center divier (which did it's desinged job) slingshot back across 3 lanes of traffic and this time through the guard rail, over the edge and down 211 feet.
During the live broadcast I saw a large SUV pulling thier rather large boat on a trailer quite succesfully up the hill. The road was wet and slushy, no argument there, but you could still see the white lines on the wet pavement. I see no reason to consider weather more than an incidental factor in that accident.
In past winters I've had my share of driving up Bear Creek Canyon when Mt Vernon Canyon (I-70) was closed during MANY storms becuase the Tractor Trailers Jim mentioned don't follow the LAW and chain up at C-470 and I-70. It's a bright orange sign over the Interstate telling them to stop and chain up. If it's a Law, maybe all those officers on overtime should enforce it. They don't seem to have much trouble stopping those trucks to weigh them in good weather, why the difficulty getting them to stop and chain up in winter weather? If they get stopped on that little hill and can't get going again without chains, maybe that's a sign!
I just really think there's a solution to all of us suffering becuase of the inability of other drivers. If the logic that the roads are to hazardous, or there could be too many accidents to safely drive, due to conditions (which is really driver or vehicle inability) then the same logic would apply that no one should be on the roads between 1 and 5 am becuase of all the alcohol related accidents... same logic, saving us form ourselves as a result of the inability of others.
During the live broadcast I saw a large SUV pulling thier rather large boat on a trailer quite succesfully up the hill. The road was wet and slushy, no argument there, but you could still see the white lines on the wet pavement. I see no reason to consider weather more than an incidental factor in that accident.
In past winters I've had my share of driving up Bear Creek Canyon when Mt Vernon Canyon (I-70) was closed during MANY storms becuase the Tractor Trailers Jim mentioned don't follow the LAW and chain up at C-470 and I-70. It's a bright orange sign over the Interstate telling them to stop and chain up. If it's a Law, maybe all those officers on overtime should enforce it. They don't seem to have much trouble stopping those trucks to weigh them in good weather, why the difficulty getting them to stop and chain up in winter weather? If they get stopped on that little hill and can't get going again without chains, maybe that's a sign!
I just really think there's a solution to all of us suffering becuase of the inability of other drivers. If the logic that the roads are to hazardous, or there could be too many accidents to safely drive, due to conditions (which is really driver or vehicle inability) then the same logic would apply that no one should be on the roads between 1 and 5 am becuase of all the alcohol related accidents... same logic, saving us form ourselves as a result of the inability of others.
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