CDOT Installing Weather Sensors on I-25 Tonight and Tomorrow Night

LARIMER/WELD COUNTIES — On Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) maintenance crews will install Road Weather Information System (RWIS) sensors on I-25 between mile marker (MM) 257 and MM 259 (Airport Road/Crossroads Boulevard).

One lane of northbound and southbound I-25 will be closed both evenings from approximately 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following mornings. Motorists should plan for major delays both nights since traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Alternate routes are strongly advised. CDOT would like to remind motorists to obey all road signs and flaggers, and to drive Slow for the Cone Zone.

RWIS sensors are an important technology as they provide real-time weather and driving conditions as well as more accurate forecasting of future driving conditions. As it is gathered, information is disseminated by CDOT via road and weather condition hotlines and websites to help motorists plan ahead for their travels. Crews also use the information to minimize the impacts of winter storms on Colorado highways by better predicting when and where snow plows need to be deployed during storms. Altogether, there are nearly 20 sensors in northern Colorado and more than 100 around the state.

The sensors are configured to measure air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, visibility, and relative humidity. They can also report road surface information such as precipitation, and can detail the thickness of layers of ice, sleet, or snow. Thanks to these modern forecasting tools, CDOT can help make roadways safer for motorists during tough Colorado winters.

To review the data received from the RWIS sensors, visit www.cotrip.org and click on “Devices” and then “Weather Stations.” You can also obtain current road and weather conditions by visiting www.cotrip.org or calling 511. To receive updates about road conditions in the area, visit www.coloradodot.info and click on the green cell phone icon in the upper right hand corner of the page.