Colorado expands snow chain law for mountain commercial vehicles

As the sun set and temperatures climbed into the mid-70s, the Colorado State Patrol checked Friday to see if commercial truck drivers at a port of entry about 40 miles west of Denver had their snow chains on hand.

By noon, troopers at the port of entry in Dumont had issued 13 citations for violating the state mandate that commercial motor vehicles carry chains on Interstate 70 in the mountains from September 1 to May 31.

A new law expands where commercial vehicles weighing more than 16,000 pounds must carry these chains. They include mountain highways in parts of northwestern, central and southwestern Colorado. The area covered by I-70 has expanded from west of Morrison to the Utah state line.

“If we find you and you don’t have chains, you can expect a summons. This is a no-tolerance, 100% violation,” Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said at a news conference.

The stakes are high when truck drivers don’t follow the rules and crash or get stuck on a snowy mountain road, Packard said. A closure of the I-70 mountain corridor will cost the state economy an estimated $2 million per hour.

And people are at risk if they get stuck on the highway during a snowstorm, perhaps stranded without food, adequate clothing or medicine.

“It is critical, not only to our economy, but to the health and safety of Colorado, to keep this highway moving as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Packard said.

While conditions on mountain highways can be warm and dry, as they were Friday, Colorado weather is unpredictable, especially further west on I-70, Packard said.

“Here we are in October, a week where we’ve had 90-degree temperatures, but we know we could get to the other side of the Eisenhower Tunnel and it could rain or snow,” he said.

Herman Stocking, deputy director of the Colorado Department of Transportation, said it’s important to get the message out to truck drivers, especially those from out of state.

“If you’re from Florida and driving through, you might not think you need chains in October. I’ve heard stories of people stepping out in their shorts and trying to put their chains on,” Stocking said.

Government agencies provide information to drivers about the chain law and post it on their websites. One site has a video showing how to attach chains to a truck, as well as a map showing where restrictions apply and details about the updated law.

This year’s changes to Colorado’s chain law will limit commercial motor vehicles to the right lane on some of the “steepest, windiest” mountain roads, Packard said. The fine is $100.

Drivers will face a doubling of fines for speeding in certain designated areas. Packard said signs will indicate where the restrictions apply.