Working Groups - Chain Stations

The Colorado Legislature passed HB07-1229 Bill in 2007. This law puts into effect stricter fines for truck drivers who do not use chains when the chain law is in effect. The goal of this legislation is to improve the operations during winter months of the major interstates within Colorado.

This law has implications for the I-70 Mountain Corridor. One particular impact for the I-70 Mountain Corridor is the need for more chain-up and chain-down stations and for improvements to the existing stations. The Colorado Department of Transportation Regions 1, 3 and 6 staff are responsible to plan, design, operate, and construct the needed chain station improvements. As a result, Phase 1 improvements were designed and constructed for operations that went into effect for the winter of 2007/2008. Further improvements are currently being considered for implementation prior to the winter of 2008/2009 and later. Phase 2 improvements, primarily targeted for implementation for the winter of 2008/2009, would focus on lighting the chain stations.

To address the multi-faceted nature of these stations and arrive at a mutually acceptable design and phasing plan for these chain stations, a Context Sensitive Solutions approach was employed for Phase 1 and helped inform Phase 2 activities.