Northeast Colorado CDOT crews hitting the roads for latest storm
“Our goal is to get ahead of these storms and to make our roads as safe as possible for all drivers,” said Region 4 (Northeast Colorado) CDOT Maintenance Superintendent Tim Miles. “We obviously can’t be everywhere all the time, so please drive carefully and safe for conditions.”
Here is a breakdown of the equipment in each of the maintenance areas throughout northeastern Colorado:
Greeley Maintenance Area
The Greeley Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Fort Lupton (3 plows), Gilcrest (4 plows), Greeley West (4 plows), Greeley East (5 plows), Pierce (5 plows), Hudson (5 plows) and Wiggins (4 plows). The Greeley Area has 51 maintenance workers and 39 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 31 snowplows, 31 of which are equipped with *MDSS, and 1 tow plow).
Boulder Maintenance Area
The Boulder Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Estes Park (5 plows), Lyons (2 plows), Frederick (4 plows), Boulder (4 plows), Nederland (3 plows), Superior (7 plows) and Mead (4 plows). The Boulder Maintenance Area has 42 maintenance workers and 40 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 29 snowplows which carry sand/slicer for providing traction. 26 of which are equipped with MDSS, and 1 tow plow).
Brush Maintenance Area
The Brush Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Fort Morgan (5 plows), two in Brush (5 plows), Akron (4 plows), Yuma (4 plows), Wray (3 plows), Anton (3 plows) and Joes (3 plows). The Brush Area has 42 maintenance workers and 37 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 27 snowplows, 13 of which are equipped with MDSS, and 1 tow plow).
Burlington/Limon Maintenance Area
The Burlington Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Arriba (5 plows), Punkin Center (3 plows), Burlington (5 plows), Seibert (6 plows), Hugo (3 plows), Kit Carson (3 plows) Matheson (2 plows), Cheyenne Wells (2 plows), Limon (7 plows), Kiowa (4 plows) and Deer Trail (5 plows). The Burlington Area has 50 maintenance workers and 63 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 45 snowplows, 8 of which are equipped with MDSS).
Loveland Maintenance Area
The Loveland Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Livermore (3 plows), Fort Collins (2 plows), Poudre Canyon (4 plows), Fort Collins (5 plows), Loveland (6 plows) and Wellington (5 plows). The Loveland Area has 40 maintenance workers and 37 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 25 snowplows, 21 of which are equipped with MDSS).
Sterling Maintenance Area
The Sterling Maintenance Area includes patrols in: New Raymer (4 plows), Sterling West (3 plows), Sterling East (6 plows), Crook (3 plows), Julesburg (5 plows) Haxtun (3 plows) and Holyoke (3 plows). The Sterling Area has 41 maintenance workers and 39 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 27 snowplows, 12 of which are equipped with MDSS, and 1 tow plow).
WINTER TRAVEL TIPS:
➢ Log on to CDOT’s Winter Driving web page at: http://www.codot.info/
➢ Be sure you have good snow tires. How do you know if you need new snow tires? Insert a quarter into the tire tread upside down, with Washington’s head going in first; if the top of George’s head is covered by the tread, your tires are OK (do this test in multiple points around each tire.) If the top of his head is visible at any point, you need new tires.
➢ 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.
➢ If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.
➢ 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 deicer.
➢ 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.
➢ Know the chain laws. Chain restrictions in Colorado are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles (semi-trailer trucks) and do not usually affect passenger vehicles.
➢ Drive for the conditions. 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.
➢ In addition to these winter driving tips, CDOT reminds all motorists to respect winter weather, conduct a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle, and leave extra space between your automobile and others on the road (including plow trucks). Of course, always buckle up!
