SOUTHWEST COLORADO – As winter weather is predicted over the Thanksgiving holiday, particularly over the mountain passes, Colorado Department of Transportation Maintenance crews have scheduled their winter patrols—on 24-hour operation when necessary (with two 12-hour shifts).

In CDOT’s Durango Maintenance Section, which covers eight southwest counties, crews have already battled winter conditions this season—albeit relatively mild thus far—on the four mountain passes they maintain.

Overall, the Durango Maintenance Section data (below) for this past winter (07-08) show an increase in miles plowed and products used over the previous winter of 2006-07. With last year’s heavier winter fresh in most people’s minds, CDOT would like to remind motorists that now is the time to prepare for winter driving conditions.

“We tend to see more accidents on our highways during the first few storms of the season,“ said CDOT Durango Maintenance Superintendent Paul DeJulio. “We would remind motorists to prepare their vehicles for winter weather—with snow tires, ice scrapers, washer fluid—and always be prepared for the quickly changing conditions we get here.”

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) posting today for southwest Colorado, precipitation, if any, will be limited to the high peaks until Thursday when moist southwest flow moves into the San Juan Mountains. The combination of the closed low and a second system moving in from the north, it states, could make for an interesting holiday weekend.

“Every year is a new ‘experiment,’” Jerry Roberts, CAIC avalanche forecaster for said. “We’re ready!”

Region 5, Section 3, DURANGO

The Durango Maintenance Section has 100-plus maintenance workers and 110-plus pieces of snow removal and avalanche control equipment. Thirteen trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks will carry sand/salt for providing traction or, at optimum temperatures, sand pre-wetted with liquid deicer for traction and effective ice-melting. Durango maintenance crews take care of 1,750 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the region), including five mountain passes. During last winter, Durango maintenance crews plowed 496,501 total lane-miles (about 167,000 more lane-miles than the previous winter).  Despite the heavy winter, crews sprayed 1,032,961 gallons of liquid deicers, which was about 82,500 gallons less than the previous year. They also spread 26,567 tons of sand/salt (about 5,000 tons more than the previous year); and spent 3,699 hours on avalanche control missions (nearly twice the hours as last season’s 1,938 hours), 151.5 hours on ice control (down from 455 hours), and 7,459 hours on special snow removal (over double the amount of the previous winter’s 2,948). Total dollars spent:  $3,575,605 (last season: $2,748,240.00).

NOTE:  Each Maintenance Area detailed below has special crews that additional work and/or avalanche control missions (in coordination with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center) on four mountain passes:  US 550 Coalbank, Molas and Red Mountain passes and SH 145 Lizard Head Pass (US 160 Wolf Creek Pass is maintained by Alamosa crews). Crews from both Maintenance Sections—Durango and Alamosa—assist one another with man-power and equipment during storms, as necessary.

Durango Maintenance Area

The Durango Maintenance Area has 6 patrols, located in:  Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, Ignacio, Durango, Hesperus and Rockwood. The Durango Maintenance Area has 31 maintenance workers and 24 pieces of snow removal and avalanche equipment. Eleven trucks are equipped with liquid deicer applicator tanks. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt and for providing traction. Durango maintenance crews take care of 510.36 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the area). During last winter, Durango maintenance crews plowed 178,966 total lane-miles (up from 127,703 in 06-07).  As well, crews sprayed 587,062 gallons of liquid deicer, spread 7,096 tons of sand/salt (both numbers show a decrease from last year’s product usage of 605,716 gallons and 8,725 tons, respectively) and spent 474.5 hours (up from 181 in 06-07) on avalanche control missions.

Cortez Maintenance Area

The Cortez Maintenance Area includes patrols in: Dove Creek, Cortez, Mancos, Dolores, Rico and Telluride. The Cortez Area has 27 maintenance workers and 38 pieces of snow removal and avalanche equipment. One truck is equipped with a liquid deicer applicator tank. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt for providing traction. Cortez maintenance crews take care of 650.8 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the region). During last winter, Cortez maintenance crews plowed 149,082 total lane-miles (up from 88,661 last season). As well, crews sprayed 226,449 gallons of liquid deicer (down from last year’s 352,816 gallons), spread 8,297 tons of sand/salt (up from 4,581), and spent 401 hours (compared with 174 hours last season) on avalanche control missions. 

Ridgway Maintenance Area

The Ridgway Maintenance Area includes patrols in:  Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway, Norwood, Nucla and Paradox. The Area has 28 maintenance workers and 42 pieces of snow and avalanche removal equipment. One truck is equipped with a liquid deicer applicator tank. Other plow trucks carry sand/salt for providing traction. Ridgway maintenance crews take care of 527.1 lane-miles (the combined lengths of each lane on every highway in the region). During last winter, Ridgway maintenance crews plowed 168,453 total lane-miles.  As well, crews sprayed 219,450 (up from 145,194) gallons of liquid deicer, spread 11,173 tons of sand/salt (compared to 9,768 last season) and spent 2,823 hours (up from 1,162.8 hours) on avalanche control missions.

WINTER TRAVEL TIPS:

1. Log on to CDOT’s Winter Driving web page at: http://www.dot.state.co.us/TravelInfo/WinterDriving/Index.cfm for tips, road conditions and other information, or call 511 for statewide road conditions.
2. 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.
3. If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.
4. 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 de-icer.
5. 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.
6. Be sure of your route. Don't go exploring in the back-country without some local knowledge, especially during a storm or when one is bearing down anywhere near your location.
7. Be sure you have good tires. The Colorado State Patrol recommends at least 1/8 of an inch tread depth. All season radials on a front-wheel-drive passenger vehicle are adequate for most situations; install them on all four tires. Four snow tires on most rear-wheel drive vehicles are usually adequate. Chain restrictions in Colorado are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles (semi-trailer trucks) and do not usually affect passenger vehicles.
8. 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. Remember you can't see around mountain curves and corners either.
9. In addition to these winter driving tips, CDOT reminds all motorists to respect winter weather, conduct a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle, leave extra space between your automobile and others on the road, and never drink and drive. Of course, always buckle up!

“Finally, a reminder to not pass a plow truck on the right. We may have a wing blade extended and this maneuver is not be safe,” DeJulio said. “Drive slowly and let us clear the roadway for you.”

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