Train derailment near Pueblo frustrates thousands of drivers Monday
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Hours-long traffic jams on Interstate 25 near Pueblo on both sides of a train derailment, coal spill and collapsed rail bridge resulted in some illegal and even dangerous driving behavior Monday.
The congestion led many southbound drivers to leave the freeway and seek a shortcut by driving across a grassy side median onto a frontage road -- not far from where a state trooper had blocked an exit to keep vehicles off the road.
Eventually, the trooper parked his patrol cruiser farther south to discourage the behavior.
Drivers who thought they were saving time, quickly learned that they weren't, as traffic backed up on the frontage road, as well.
The situation created three lanes of traffic, each several miles long, merging at the Pinon exit where authorities detoured them to Overton/Old Pueblo roads that parallel the highway; some 18-wheelers barely squeezed under a road section that started under I-25.
Detouring vehicles generated clouds of dust as they traveled along the roads that are paved in some stretches and unpaved in others.
Some drivers boldly drove the wrong way on the congested frontage road, looking for any opportunity to reach their destination sooner.
Numerous impatient drivers made U-turns off I-25, going across the center median and heading northbound.
Jane Rhodes, 87, has spent her entire life living along I-25 and was amazed at the amount of traffic congestion.
"It's terrible and never has anything like that happened out here," she said. "My dog barks at all of these cars when I let him out. But, I know that bridge is old, I know it is. Been here all my life, and all these bridges are old, old, old."
In the early afternoon, Amber Shipley -- a CDOT spokesperson -- announced that Highway 115 between Colorado Springs and Penrose would serve as the main detour in both directions.
"There's just too many cars that are trying to use it -- and really, (it's) just for larger tractor trailers with wider widths," she explained. "So, let's just focus on getting people pointed at Colorado 115."
An expected news conference to update the derailment investigation didn't not happen, as Shipley said that the National Transportation Safety Board had just arrived to start work; the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is in the process of its own probe into the incident.
Shipley said that authorities might issue a news release later Monday evening.
As the sun set, three BNSF police cars with lights flashing, escorted a convoy of heavy trucks to the derailment scene; on the opposite side, dozens of dump trucks and other construction vehicles lined the southbound shoulder of I-25 -- presumably in preparation for debris removal.
