CDOT Prepared for Winter Storm
ROAD CONDITION/CLOSURE INFORMATION: To find the conditions and closures, log onto our traveler information site at www.cotrip.org or call 511 from anywhere in the state. Better yet, sign up to receive wireless text alerts and/or e-mails about road conditions on our web site (see the green phone icon in the upper right-hand corner).
SOUTH-CENTRAL COLORADO/SAN LUIS VALLEY – A winter storm is descending on Colorado and Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance crews are ready for it.
“We are going to get hammered,” said Drew McFarland, CDOT Region 5 maintenance supervisor for the North Area, which includes US 50 over Monarch Pass (see location details below). “Truckers need to obey chain laws for everyone’s safety, and to avoid fines. Now is a good time for motorists to get their snow tires put on. Drive slowly, and you’ll get there just fine.”
CDOT crews are expecting three to five inches of snow each day at the higher elevations, over the next three days. Weekend accumulations could be lighter before more snow hits early next week.
All maintenance crews, specifically on the mountain passes, are on standby for winter storm patrols. This means maintenance patrol crews (see worker numbers below) are out on 24-hour operation—either on rotating 8- or 12-hour shifts—until they reach dry road conditions.
CDOT MAINTENANCE SECTION 7 – ALAMOSA CDOT’s Alamosa Maintenance Section covers all of South-Central Colorado, including the counties of Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Fremont, Gunnison, Rio Grande, Saguache, Huerfano and east Mineral. The Alamosa Maintenance Section has some 97 maintenance workers and about 117 pieces of snow removal and avalanche equipment (including 64 snowplows, 9 of which are equipped with *MDSS). Nine trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks will carry sand/salt and ice slicer (a solid salt product) for providing traction and de-icing. Alamosa maintenance crews take care of 1,727 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the section), including eight mountain passes. Total 2014 Budget for the Alamosa Section: $3,010,628.00.
Operations for the Alamosa Maintenance Section are divided into three Maintenance Areas, each with numerous patrol crews within. Here are the details:
North Area
The North Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Poncha Springs (8 plows), Maysville (6 plows), Sargents (3 plows) and Buena Vista (5 plows). Work in the North Area includes three passes: US 285 Poncha Pass, US 24 Trout Creek Pass and US 50 Monarch Pass. The Area has 31 maintenance workers including temporary employees and 26 pieces of snow and avalanche removal equipment (including 20 snowplows, 7 of which are equipped with MDSS). There are two trucks equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks and seven combo units (that also carry sand/salt). Other plow trucks will carry sand/salt and ice slicer (a solid salt product) for providing traction. North Area maintenance crews take care of 400 lane-miles including the three mountain passes mentioned above. Total 2014 Winter Budget: $873,000.
West Area
The West Maintenance Area has patrols in: Monte Vista (3 plows), South Fork (8 plows), Saguache (5 plows), Pagosa Springs (3 plows) and Creede (2 plows). Work out of this Maintenance Area includes US 160 Wolf Creek Pass and SH 114 Cochatopa/North Pass. The Area has 34 maintenance workers including temporary employees and 38 pieces of snow and avalanche removal equipment (including 19 snowplows, 4 of which are equipped with MDSS). Four trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks will carry sand/salt and ice slicer (a solid salt product) for providing traction. West area maintenance crews take care of 550 lane-miles including two mountain passes. Total 2014 Winter Budget: $1,144,200.00
East Area
The East Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Fort Garland (2 plows), US 160 La Veta Pass (3 plows), Alamosa (8 plows), Antonito (3 plows) and SH 17 La Manga Pass (4 plows; and work out of this patrol also includes SH 17 Cumbres Pass). The Area has 31 maintenance workers including temporary employees and 32 pieces of snow and avalanche removal equipment (including 20 snowplows, 10 of which are equipped with MDSS). Five trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks will carry sand and ice slicer for providing traction. East Area maintenance crews take care of 608 lane-miles including three mountain passes. Total 2014 Winter Budget: $993,428.
*Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), installed on many CDOT plow trucks throughout the state, combines advanced weather prediction, advanced road condition prediction and rules of practice for anti-icing and de-icing to generate road treatment recommendations on a route-by-route basis. The goal of MDSS is to provide more effective use of maintenance resources in order to increase safety, reliability and mobility on roadways. The MDSS system allows CDOT crews to input real-time conditions, including road and ambient temperature, type of snow removal products being used and the application rate. After comparing the information to 15 weather reports, the system will then provide suggested treatments based on the information and models. The system may tell the operator to re-treat the road at a later time, apply different products at different rates or even to continue current procedures. The suggested treatment can then be followed or the operator can override the system.
WINTER TRAVEL TIPS:
1. Plan your trip! Log on to CDOT’s Winter Driving web page at: http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/winter-driving for tips, road conditions, information on CDOT’s 14-hour snow plow coverage and more; or call 511 for statewide road conditions. Also, sign up for FREE wireless text and/or e-mail updates on road conditions/closures—see the green phone icon in the upper right-hand corner of our web site home page. Motorists can also log onto the National Weather Service’s site at http://weather.gov/.
2. Always keep the top half of your gas tank full. It can give you better traction and gives you a bigger margin of error if you get stuck and have to keep the engine running periodically to keep warm.
3. If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.
4. Carry blankets, water, a flashlight, a shovel, some nutrition bars or other food for sustenance. Winterize your vehicle's safety kit by including extra blankets, sand to help gain traction in the event you become stuck on ice or snow, jumper cables, an ice scraper and lock de-icer.
5. Remember that 4-wheel drive does not mean 4-wheel stop. A 4-wheel drive vehicle will not stop any better in icy conditions, especially if you have inadequate snow tires.
6. Be sure of your route. Don't go exploring in the back-country without some local knowledge, especially during a storm or when one is bearing down anywhere near your location.
7. Be sure you have good tires. The Colorado State Patrol recommends at least 1/8 of an inch tread depth. All season radials on a front-wheel-drive passenger vehicle are adequate for most situations; install them on all four tires. Four snow tires on most rear-wheel drive vehicles are usually adequate. Chain restrictions in Colorado are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles (semi-trailer trucks) and do not usually affect passenger vehicles (please see information on Colorado’s chain law at http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/commercial-vehicles/colorado-chain-law.url).
8. In poor visibility or even whiteout conditions, don't drive faster than you can see ahead. High speeds in poor or no visibility can lead to large chain reaction accidents. Remember you can't see around mountain curves and corners, either.
9. In addition to these winter driving tips, CDOT reminds all motorists to respect winter weather, conduct a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle, leave extra space between your automobile and others on the road, and never drink and drive.
10. Always buckle up!
