Driving through the holidays - CDOT’s ready to keep Colorado moving

News Release

Dec. 18, 2024 - Colorado - Record level staffing, cutting-edge technology and strategic surging will help keep Colorado moving

Statewide — As the holiday season kicks into gear, winter is making its presence known across Colorado. While some drivers may still be adjusting to snowy roads and abrupt changes in weather conditions after enjoying an unseasonably warm fall, the Colorado Department of Transportation is already fully prepared.

CDOT crews are staffed up and ready to help travelers navigate safely during the busiest and snowiest times of the year. This is thanks to years of proactive recruitment efforts, innovative staffing strategies and taking a holistic approach to housing to make it possible for maintainers and key partners like State Troopers to live close to where they are needed to get their jobs done. CDOT has also taken a range of important steps to augment the technology used for everything from deicing to operations centers.

But, CDOT cannot do it alone. As CDOT crews get ready to deploy in full force during the holiday season, we ask travelers to do their part to keep Colorado’s roads safe by to respecting highway maintainers and other first responders on the road, and being prepared for winter conditions.

“The holidays are one of the busiest times of year for CDOT maintainers, who are ready to deploy in full force even as many others get to enjoy time off,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “Our teams are staffed up and ready to surge, and we ask drivers to respect their workplace and help them stay safe and do their jobs effectively during busy season. Even if you’re rushing to get to your holiday destination, please take the time to prepare for winter conditions and drive carefully when you see our colleagues working their hardest to keep the roads open and safe.”

Here are some of thing things CDOT has done to get ready for the holiday season and winter 2024/2025.

Vacancy rate

CDOT has been aggressive and innovative in how it approached its recruitment efforts this year. With multiple hiring fairs, career growth opportunities, workforce housing and entry-level training initiatives, CDOT has decreased vacancy rates to approximately 10 to 12% as of early Oct. 2024. This is the lowest vacancy rate in roughly a decade, and less than a third of what it was just two years ago. Over the past two winter seasons, the vacancy rates had been:

  • Winter 2022/2023 - 37%
  • Winter 2023/2024 - 22%

Two significant areas of concern, Berthoud Pass and the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels, are fully staffed for the first time in over a decade.

Berthoud Pass

Last winter, Berthoud Pass was hit multiple times with heavy snowfall, resulting in either natural snow slides or avalanche mitigation operations. Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend particularly, motorists saw some of its most significant impacts in decades. CDOT crews reported at least 32 snow bank slides that took place along the entire length of US 40, some of historical significance.

Berthoud Pass is the main artery for towns like Winter Park and extensive closures can have tremendous impact. For this reason, CDOT is amping up its winter operations strategy along the state highway to help keep it open as long as Mother Nature allows.

“We will deploy a response team of five to six employees on Berthoud Pass that will work nights 24 hours in advance of a major weather event,” said John Lorme, CDOT director of maintenance and operations. “The team will remain on the Pass to push back and plow snow to ensure the roadway stays as near normal as possible. In addition, crews will be introducing a new and environmentally-friendly deicer to the Pass that will help break up ice from the roadway sooner to help keep it open and operational.”

Crews will be surged onto US 40 Berthoud Pass to help with coverage based on weather forecasts.

Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels

With 6.1 million vehicles traveling through the tunnels last winter season, this section of Interstate 70 continues to be one of the most traveled areas across the state during the winter. Thanks to its elevation changes as motorists move through the 1.7-mile tunnel, folks may experience sunny conditions on the east side and blizzard-like conditions on the west side, which can cause spin-outs and crashes for those not prepared. There is now a $1.6 million hit to the Colorado economy every hour that I-70 is closed. Its more important than ever to ensure operational readiness along the I-70 Mountain Corridor, especially at the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels.

CDOT recently completed a new de-icing system at each of the tunnel entry portals. This system is installed in the road way about 3/8 of an inch below asphalt level. Six spray heads are spread out before motorists enter the tunnel in either direction. Once this system is activated by CDOT employees, it will spray 10 gallons of Apex de-icing product on the road, which traffic will then help carry into the tunnel spreading the solution to counteract slick conditions. CDOT has also deployed a dedicated plow truck to maintain the tunnel approaches and the loop roads.

“Our new systems and processes will help to decrease the occurrence of slick conditions in and near the tunnels, with the understanding that it is not possible to eliminate adverse conditions entirely,” said Paul Fox, Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels program manager. “With that said, motorists should enter the tunnels below the posted speed limit and exit with caution during winter conditions. We see several incidents every season that cause CDOT to close the tunnels, which can be prevented by folks using slower speeds and staying in their current lane. CDOT will be using more message boards inside the tunnel to help deliver that message as well.”

Additionally, the new Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels Operations Center will be fully operational this winter season, which will enhance CDOT and the Colorado State Patrol’s emergency response efforts as operators will have a clearer eye on crash scenes and will be able to let dispatchers and maintainers know exactly what resources are needed to address the incident.

I-70 Mountain Corridor

The Corridor is a significant concern not only for CDOT but also for Coloradans and visitors alike. CDOT will continue implementing resource “surges” as teams rotate out of their typically assigned areas to join enhanced teams that will meet demands along I-70 in places that are the most heavily traversed during the winter season. This allows CDOT to maintain steady operations on the highway and keep motorists safe. 24 maintainers have signed up for the I-70 surge team. This same tactic is also being used to shift resources as needed on secondary roadways like US 40, CO 9 and CO 82 to achieve a similar objective.

“While summer was in full swing, CDOT met with our law enforcement and construction partners from CSP, Clear Creek and Summit counties, and the I-70 Floyd Hill Project on Aug. 29,” said Lorme. “The goal of this meeting was to discuss anticipated coordination and responses for incident response and road closures that will occur this winter season. Our teams worked through lessons learned from previous winter seasons and also heard from the I-70 Floyd Hill Project team on what new lane configurations and construction impacts we will encounter this season so we can adjust our response tactics accordingly.”

CDOT will continue to host coordination meetings with stakeholders from across the state, especially along the I-70 Mountain Corridor, so various agencies can collaborate on response efforts and understand CDOT’s winter operations strategies.

Strategic partnerships

Collaboration is a key tool in CDOT’s winter operations toolbox. Effectively communicating with the public, clearing the roadways of incidents and closing highways is done best with strong partnerships. CDOT has held pre-winter weather sync meetings with CSP, local first responders, City and County Public Works Departments and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association to discuss closure notifications systems and alternate routing options in the event of a road closure. Coordination with CMCA has proven to be increasingly more important every year and especially in 2024 as chain law requirements have expanded across the state. Its important that Commercial Motor Vehicle operators are informed of state laws, adverse road conditions and closed highways to make educated decisions. Working with local and state agency partners is also critical as they act as a support network during Colorado’s more challenging storms and help improve driver safety.

CDOT also has open communication lines to surrounding state DOTs as its imperative for motorists crossing state lines to be aware of upcoming closures and travel impacts. The Colorado Office of Emergency Management is also a strong partner for CDOT, especially during extended closures or statewide storms. The agencies work together to provide traveler information and support.

Meteorology

According to CDOT’s meteorologist and winter operations manager Michael Chapman, the weather in Colorado may be the hardest to predict. Colorado’s terrain plays a big part. Predicting the weather is high stakes, especially for CDOT, as the public depends on the agency to get its forecast right so the roads stay open, safe and passable.

The CDOT weather team is responsible for delivering accurate information to our operations teams in the field. Snowplow operators, for example, rely heavily on this information and use forecasts to know exactly where to deploy plows or surge teams. The meteorology team also helps CDOT plow operators know what type and how much snow product to use. By being in-sync with what the forecast predicts road temperatures to be like, CDOT saves money and decreases the amount of unnecessary materials used. To learn more about CDOT’s weather predicting efforts, visit the Division of Maintenance and Operations webpage.

Workforce housing

Historically, CDOT has offered housing options such as RV and mobile home pads, houses/duplexes and apartments in 17 locations statewide to its maintenance employees. This allowed CDOT’s essential employees to be able to live near their maintenance facility in areas with notoriously expensive housing markets. There can be limitations with this type of housing, however, as the majority of the units exist on active maintenance sites creating little separation between work and personal life and the mobile home pad solution requires employees to purchase or bring their own mobile home to the site, which can limit the pool of people who can take advantage of the offering.

With access to affordable housing remaining a challenge throughout Colorado, especially in mountain communities, and vacancies on the rise in some of the state’s most critical corridors such as I-70, CDOT decided to move into the housing business. The most important goal of enhancing the housing program is to create a tool to recruit and retain employees. By doing so, CDOT’s essential employees get access to an affordable, safe, family-friendly home environment that’s close to work. Housing is being built in areas with historically higher vacancy rates and this is one of CDOT’s many solutions to fill vacant spots to better serve critical corridors.

Housing locations:

  • Fairplay
    • Completion date: Fall 2024
    • Number of units: 12
    • Product: Single family modular homes
  • Frisco
    • Estimated completion date: Early 2025
    • Number of units: 11
    • Product: Apartments
    • Partner: Town of Frisco
  • Basalt
    • Design start: Summer 2024
    • Number of units: 12
    • Product: Town homes
  • Edwards
    • Design start: Spring 2025
    • Number of units: 15
    • Product: Town homes

Commercial Driver’s License training program

Obtaining a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) offers tremendous career opportunities, but many people feel discouraged to pursue careers requiring a CDL as many employers require the license prior to an individual being hired, which means both time and income potential are lost to the individual. CDOT has implemented a CDL program to train those interested in operating commercial motor vehicles and building a meaningful career with CDOT all while receiving a paycheck and taking advantage of CDOT’s many other training opportunities. Since September 2021, roughly 200 participants in CDOT training programs across the state have received Commercial Driver’s Licenses.

Recruiting support

CDOT has elicited support from its engineering and Intelligent Transportation Systems units to help during storm events as well. The Department takes keeping Colorado roads safe and open seriously and has offered opportunities for other units to join the cause and fill in for areas that need additional support. Therefore, folks who might work on designing highway projects or maintain fiber optic systems during the day, can take on plowing snow or working closure points at night. These dedicated CDOT employees have taken part in CDOT’s CDL training program for the sole purpose of serving their communities and supporting CDOT maintainers.

Communications tools

On Oct. 18, CDOT’s COtrip.org and COtrip Planner app switched to “winter mode.” This makes it easier than ever for travelers to get quick access to the information they need before they hit the roads. Once visitors visit the website or app, the road conditions, traffic incidents, plow tracker, weather radar, weather alerts and chain/traction law layers are automatically switched on eliminating the legwork needed to activate these popular layers. Similarly, truckers can turn on “trucker mode” to gain access to layers they most frequently use during the winter season.

COtrip.org and the COtrip Planner app will be the best travel resources for motorists before they hit the road. Both platforms are free for the public to use and travelers can enter in the address of where they are headed to see cameras and road closure information. While X has been a popular tool in the past for motorists, post limits can be capped, meaning some motorists may not be receiving real-time information they need. For this reason, all motorists are encouraged to use the COtrip platforms for their travel needs.

During major weather events that are likely to bring road closures, CDOT may also extend its times for its Customer Service Hotline hours to better serve the public and provide information they need during the week. CDOT Public Information Officers will also utilize the CDOT Facebook page and region specific Facebook groups to provide information and updates about extended closures that will bring significant impacts to travelers. Department PIOs will also connect with partner PIOs within state and local governments to provide essential information to further spread messaging about closures and vital safety messaging. CDOT is also pleased to announce a new I-70 Mountain Corridor PIO position that will further communicate with ski resorts and stakeholders along this critical corridor.

For those interested in learning more about the Division of Maintenance and Operations, how to plan around ski traffic, CDOT’s avalanche program and more, folks can visit CDOT’s Division of Maintenance and Operations website or view its DMO YouTube playlist to get a more in-depth look at what goes on behind the scenes.

About CDOT’s Division of Maintenance and Operations

The vision of the Division of Maintenance and Operations (DMO) is to create one integrated division. The division focus is on real-time maintenance and operations services, as well as near-term improvement projects. We can best support the crucial work of our five CDOT regions. Our support helps to provide the optimal service and safety for the traveling public in Colorado. CDOT’s DMO - we do more than you think.

Know Before You Go

Travelers are urged to “know before you go.” Gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

Remember: Slow For The Cone Zone

The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones.

  • Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits.
  • Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected.
  • Watch for workers. Drive with caution.
  • Don't change lanes unnecessarily.
  • Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones.
  • Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you.
  • Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones.
  • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
  • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you.
  • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so.
  • Be patient!

Download the COtrip App!

The new free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information, and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!