CDOT Set to Battle Winter Driving Conditions over Next Few Months
PUEBLO – Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) maintenance crews continue to make necessary repairs to snow removal equipment, stocking ice removal products and taking other steps in preparation for the next several months of winter weather.
“While the tools and equipment are essential for winter maintenance, our highways would not be clear of snow and ice without our hard working employees,” said CDOT Region Two Maintenance Superintendent Adam Padilla. “Our employees work around the clock during inclement weather to help keep our highways safe and clear. To ensure our plow drivers can do their job, we need the help of the traveling public to give our plows room and to drive appropriately for conditions.”
Region Two – which includes all of southeastern Colorado and South Park – is budgeted at $8,440,876 for winter maintenance. More than 220 employees maintain 7,670 highway lane miles (the combined length of each lane on every highway within the region).
“Keeping our highways clear of snow and ice during adverse weather is challenging, but our forces are very dedicated and well-trained to help keep our highways open and passable throughout the winter season,” added Padilla. “Highway safety is job one and while our crews do their best battling Mother Nature, we’re reminding drivers to slow down when driving on wet or snowy roads."
Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), installed on many CDOT plow trucks throughout the state, combines advanced weather and 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.
Pueblo Maintenance Area
The Pueblo Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Pueblo (six patrols, 15 plows total), Rye/Colorado City (4 plows), Penrose (4 plows), Westcliffe (3 plows) Beulah (5 plows), Canon City (two patrols, 5 plows total) and Cotopaxi (2 plows). The Pueblo Maintenance Area has 49 maintenance workers and 38 pieces of snow removal (including 38 snowplows, 12 of which are equipped with MDSS). 12 trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt and for providing traction. Pueblo Area maintenance crews oversee 2119 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $1,938,956.
Colorado Springs Maintenance Area
The Colorado Springs Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Colorado Springs (eight patrols, 27 plows total), Monument (two patrols, 6 plows total), Calhan (2 plows). The Colorado Springs Area has 54 maintenance workers and 41 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 35 snowplows, 10 of which are equipped with MDSS). Eleven trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt and for providing traction. Colorado Springs Area maintenance crews oversee 1287 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $2,020.771.
La Junta Maintenance Area
The La Junta Maintenance Area includes patrols in: La Junta (6 plows), Las Animas (3 plows), Fowler (2 plows), Sugar City (4 plows) and Kim (3 plows). The La Junta Maintenance Area has 23 maintenance workers and 18 pieces of snow removal (including 18 snowplows). Five trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt and for providing traction. La Junta Area maintenance crews oversee 1126 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $376,890.
Trinidad Maintenance Area
The Trinidad Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Trinidad (three patrols, 9 plows total), Aguilar (3 plows), Walsenburg (two patrols, 6 plows total) and La Veta (4 plows). The Trinidad Area has 29 maintenance workers and 30 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 22 snowplows, 11 of which are equipped with MDSS). Twelve trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Trinidad Area maintenance crews oversee 1187 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $1,261,332.
Lamar Maintenance Area
The Lamar Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Lamar (two patrols, 4 plows total), Eads (two patrols, 5 plows total), Springfield (8 plows), Granada (5 plows). The Lamar Area has 32 maintenance workers and 26 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 22 snowplows). Five trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Lamar Area maintenance crews oversee 1343 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $550,188.
Fairplay Maintenance Area
The Fairplay Maintenance Area includes patrols in Fairplay (three patrols, 9 plows total), Woodland Park (6 plows), Cripple Creek (3 plows), Hartsel (2 plows) and Bailey (5 plows). The Fairplay Area has 33 maintenance workers and 36 pieces of snow removal equipment (including 25 snowplows, 8 of which are equipped with MDSS). Seven trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Fairplay Area maintenance crews oversee 608 lane-miles. Total 2014/15 winter budget: $2,292,737.
WINTER TRAVEL TIPS:
- Log on to CDOT’s Winter Driving web page at: http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/winter-driving for road conditions winter driving tips and other information; or for I-70 West Mountain Corridor travel, go here: http://goi70.com/.
- 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!
SNOW REMOVAL PRODUCTS:
- Magnesium Chloride: In solutions that utilize up to 30 percent magnesium chloride, this product is effective for pavement surface temperatures down to 16 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cold Temperature Modified Magnesium Chloride: In solutions that utilize up to 27 percent magnesium chloride, this product is used when surface temperatures fall below approximately 15 degrees Fahrenheit. These products have a corn-processed byproduct additive that greatly lowers the freezing point of magnesium chloride.
- Ice Slicer: This is a solid product made up of mainly sodium chloride; it also contains small amounts of other materials making it more effective at lower temperatures than pure sodium chloride.
CDOT MAINTENANCE JOB OPPORTUNITIES STATEWIDE:
CDOT hires maintenance personnel year-round to join the dedicated women and men who tirelessly work to maintain Colorado’s state roadways. CDOT maintenance workers enjoy paid vacation and sick leave, medical and dental plans, life insurance, choice of retirement plans, training, work-life programs and tuition reimbursement. A commercial driver’s license and heavy equipment operation experience is required. Find out more online at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/Colorado.