OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[skiHOG]

wow, Dowd Junction was gnarly from about 2-4pm. Several people had gotten out of their cars and were walking on the open interstate right at the overpass. W.T.F. Doesn't help they've been doing construction on that 1.5 mile section. That damn fiber line they are laying better be available to the public in the future.

[bean]

Yep. Will work like clockwork, especially with everyone getting out of work. CDOT fully admitted that any "products" are not doing shit and that there are some areas with "traction issues".

The rapid switch from 60s and sunny to 20s and snowing is basically worst case scenario. Liquid mag chloride would get washed away before it froze, and it started to freeze up hard just before rush hour. Ice slicer might've worked but I don't know how that lasts in the conditions we had today.

I'm planning to get in to work absurdly early tomorrow, as I'm not expecting much improvement overnight. The cost of dumping ice slicer everywhere pales in comparison to the economic damage that we're seeing tonight. Let's hope CDOT maintenance gets after it tonight, but I'm not optimistic.

[capulin overdrive]

She's all yours this winter.


I'll be singing the highway 50 and 160 blues this season!

[hatchgreenchile]

Ya ya, I70 blows, but are there any domestic or international major highways that operate in similar conditions? Only outside state experience is I80 to Park City and that's a breeze.

Let's face it. You've got a 50 mile section of highway between Georgetown and Vail with very steep grades, lows of twists and turns and two summits to cross that get ~400"+ of snow. It's pretty fucking legit. Even if CDOT crushed it, how efficient can it be really be?

[stevesmith7]

Came back from Grand Junction this afternoon. Total chaos starting at Avon. Got stopped by a plow guy on hwy 6 so I ask him if 24 is open. He gives me the "gee never thought of that" look. Gets on his radio, all's well. Went through Leadville, took an extra hour but I was home before dark. Second time I've had to do that in three trips west. It isn't the weather it's the morons.

[The SnowShow]

^^^ that's a good point. I've never been on the highways to Tahoe or in Utah or WA during big snows...how is that handled other than chains for all vehicles? Are there drivers who know what they're doing?

[Hott Butt Mud]

Ya ya, I70 blows, but are there any domestic or international major highways that operate in similar conditions? Only outside state experience is I80 to Park City and that's a breeze.

Let's face it. You've got a 50 mile section of highway between Georgetown and Vail with very steep grades, lows of twists and turns and two summits to cross that get ~400"+ of snow. It's pretty fucking legit. Even if CDOT crushed it, how efficient can it be really be?

If CDOT had a pair of balls they would build a shelter above the highway. Call it an extended car port.

But seriously, they just seem to be sucking with the road closures. I mean, c'mon, why did they need to close I-70 at Dowd Junction today for 3 hours?

[hatchgreenchile]

^ Oi! You're on to something. That or a tunnel from Morrison to Keystone.
I80 Utah has chain laws during storms, but Parleys Canyon is pretty easy.
I80 CA has had chains laws through the Sierra, not sure about I90 in WA.

[capulin overdrive]

It isn't the weather it's the morons.

This^^^





Anybody that cares should be writing, calling, and e-mailing CDOT demanding chain or 4wd/Awd laws.



It's not the snow, it's the vehicle.

[montanaskier]

FINES.....HEAVY Fines if you get stuck or are in accident with bad tires....like 1k dollars

[The SnowShow]

I have no idea what was going on at Dowd, or at the Tunnel, which also had a 3 hour closure, but it wasn't like this was a +12" storm. Shouldn't they be able to handle this with plowing and de-icing? Why has travel gotten so bad in the past couple of years? I don't remember so many closures so often like this 3+ years ago. I have a feeling I'll be a Loveland A LOT this season during powder days, which isn't such a bad thing

[The SnowShow]

^^^ is it CDOT that enforces chain laws and could create one for all vehicles, or is it CO state patrol?

I agree, let's do something (even if it goes for naught).

[capulin overdrive]

Me thinks CDOT would do the signs and decide how, when, and where for the chains 4wd.

Patrol would have to do the enforcement. Suppose they would work together somehow, and already are.


Anyways, just sent an E-MAIL TO CDOT !

[grskier]

You guys are barking up the wrong trees 87% of the time...

It is pretty comical.

[hatchgreenchile]

I'll just write to Obama. Keep 70 open and fund my cat days too.

A bus line would be pretty cheap. Run 'em from the Dino lots to Loveland and WP to see if they take. I like the lifted party bus idea .

[skiHOG]

I have no idea what was going on at Dowd, or at the Tunnel, which also had a 3 hour closure, but it wasn't like this was a +12" storm. Shouldn't they be able to handle this with plowing and de-icing?

When it's coming down 3"/hour it's almost impossible to keep the road in good shape. Also, you throw in one dumbass driver that gets stuck in a lane, or rear ends somebody for following too close....

[fastfred]

It's drivers and their cars

I'm the first one to shit all over cdot for being a worthless poorly run and funded organization but its drivers who are unprepared for the conditions

whats the first thing some clown does when he moves to colorado they go buy an suv because they need that for all the "mountain driving" they are going to do from highlands ranch to lafayette yet they have no real practical knowledge of driving in ice and snow, how many days a year does the front range have shitty roads on average? not many

last night the roads were empty so I rallied big time at forty miles an hr I slamed on the brakes got the car sideways, spun out in rwd, pretty much had a good time getting as squirlly as I could, each time I got out of control I worked to get it back in control, how many drivers go out and do that, you got thousands of drivers who don't know what to do other than slam on the brakes when they start loosing control, no one has any skills

two vail fire trucks got assholed by drivers last winter a state patrol car got assholed yesterday, who the fuck doesn't see flashing lights and slow down and yeild? it's become a major safety issue for the people trying to respond to accidents and clear the highway so the easiest thing is to shut it down and protect those people from bad drivers

[rpg]

Question from someone new to the area: when Vail Pass gets closed, how long does it typically remain closed for, how long can it remain closed for, and will it stay closed all night if it is absolutely chucking down snow?

Living in Silverthorne and just starting to think about logistics of what i'll do if I get stuck in Vail...

[Name Redacted]

It isn't CDOT's fault, the road was closed because of accidents, not because of conditions. Drivers could not handle conditions because of their shitty tires and/ or driving skills.

It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that when it drops 40ºF in an hour and starts dumping snow, you are going to have an ice rink no matter how much mag chloride you dump out there.

[adrenalated]

Question from someone new to the area: when Vail Pass gets closed, how long does it typically remain closed for, how long can it remain closed for, and will it stay closed all night if it is absolutely chucking down snow?

Living in Silverthorne and just starting to think about logistics of what i'll do if I get stuck in Vail...

1) depends
2) depends
3) sometimes
4) yes, you should have a plan for that

[bean]

It isn't CDOT's fault, the road was closed because of accidents, not because of conditions.

I wouldn't call it an "accident" when truckers ignore chain restrictions and then smash in to a bunch of shit.

[adrenalated]

Dumbassident?

[montanaskier]

I agree that it's the road and the drivers. 70 is a really tough stretch of road. People certainly don't give it the respect it deserves. People think "I drove in snow everyday on Chicago or Indy or wherever ". But it's just such a different animal. Good tires and slow down would stop a lot of accidents. Also strongly agree the fine for the rigs that don't chain up should be ALOT higher. Make em feel the pain!

[adrenalated]

The fine for disobeying the chain law and blocking the highway is currently $1000, FYI.
http://www.cotrip.org/truckers.htm

[ASmileyFace]

It's drivers and their cars

I'm the first one to shit all over cdot for being a worthless poorly run and funded organization but its drivers who are unprepared for the conditions

whats the first thing some clown does when he moves to colorado they go buy an suv because they need that for all the "mountain driving" they are going to do from highlands ranch to lafayette yet they have no real practical knowledge of driving in ice and snow, how many days a year does the front range have shitty roads on average? not many

last night the roads were empty so I rallied big time at forty miles an hr I slamed on the brakes got the car sideways, spun out in rwd, pretty much had a good time getting as squirlly as I could, each time I got out of control I worked to get it back in control, how many drivers go out and do that, you got thousands of drivers who don't know what to do other than slam on the brakes when they start loosing control, no one has any skills

As bad as cdot is, drivers really are the problem. So few actually try and learn anything about driving in the snow. If even half of the idiots driving their SVU's up I70 went and "practiced" like you (and I imagine most here on TGR have) did, mountain roads would be infinitely safer.

Better chain laws and fine for bad tires would help, but until the culture about winter weather driving changes I70 will always be a shit show.

EDIT: Also, nothing is going to stop dumbass truckers from ignoring chain laws. Dipshits gunna dipshit and that will never change.