Interstates 25, 70 could close if conditions deteriorate during March snowstorm
COLORADO (KRDO) - The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), alongside the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), The Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) provided an update Wednesday regarding the upcoming winter storm that is anticipated to impact much of the state.
Road conditions will be treacherous in many areas, with the brunt of the storm happening east of the Continental Divide, the foothills and the Palmer Divide.
CDOT officials said that because they expect Interstate 25 between Monument and Castle Rock to get the strongest impacts, they are prepared to close the freeway if necessary.
"The number-one thing that will dictate a closure is visibility and wind speed," said John Lorme, CDOT's director of maintenance and operations. "That's usually when we have a large amount of snow, and we have increased or elevated winds above 15 and 20 mph; we have to basically consider a safety closure because drivers could lose visibility, slam into someone in front of them who's actually driving for the conditions."
Stan Hilkey, executive director of the CDPS, urged people to stay home and avoid travel through Friday -- realizing that many people have Spring Break plans.
"It would be wise rather than to start your trip on Thursday, to wait until everybody is able to get the roads cleared and take back control of all the roads, and delay -- by maybe a day, or a day-and-a-half -- it looks like that might be a wise decision for everybody involved," he said.
Officials also asked drivers who must travel for some reason, to avoid using other highways as detours around I-25 if it closes.
"We'd just trade one crisis center for another," Hilkey explained. "If we have to move resources from I-25 to other highways, it becomes a challenge."
Col. Matthew Packard, of the state patrol, asked people to plan ahead to prepare for power outages and other impacts, and have emergency supplies handy.
"If you get stranded or need help, it could take a while to arrive," he said.
Mike Cooperstein, a regional manager for the CAIC, said that his office will watch for avalanches during and after the storm.
"We might have some closures to do avalanche mitigation," he said. "If you get caught in one, don't try to drive through it and remain in your vehicle."
Officials also said that they won't set up emergency centers until they know when and where they're needed.
Sections of Interstate 70 west of Denver also could close if warranted by storm conditions.
You can watch the virtual media briefing above.
