Commercial vehicle travel is focus of new Colorado law

Colorado is adding rules for commercial vehicles traveling in the state.

Gov. Jared Polis has signed into law a bill that focuses on truck chain rules, left lane travel and speed enforcement. The new rules are touted as enhancing the safety of commercial vehicles on Colorado’s highways during the winter months.

“The last few winters on our mountain highways have been particularly challenging with way too many avoidable closures as the result of unprepared CMV drivers,” Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, said in prepared remarks.

The Colorado Department of Transportation supported the new rules. The agency said commercial vehicles traveling through Glenwood Canyon account for 57% of winter closures on Interstate 70. The agency attributed many incidents to unchained trucks.

Colorado law now allows CDOT to issue closures or require certain equipment such as tire chains on I-70 from Sept. 1 through May 31 each year. The rule applies for the stretch of interstate between milepost 133 and milepost 259.

The new law revises the rule to state that commercial vehicles weighing at least 16,000 pounds are required to carry chains on portions of I-70 west, state Highway 9 and stretches of five U.S. highways.

The state transportation department previously told lawmakers the legislative pursuit follows continued chain violations, commercial vehicle crashes and unnecessary highway closures.

Chain stations

Another provision in the new law commissions a CDOT study to determine where to build more chain stations in the affected areas.

Advocates said the revisions are a welcome change. They said trucks from outside the region are not as prepared for weather as some of the local motor carriers.

In a bill-signing statement, Polis said that “ensuring that our roads and highways are safe is important, especially in Colorado’s high country.”

Additionally, CDOT is required to study the feasibility of increasing the number of chain-up and chain-down stations. Money from increased penalties in Glenwood Canyon would be tapped to help fund additional chain-up and chain-down areas.

Greg Fulton of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association told lawmakers it is a shared responsibility between the state and motor carriers for safety and mobility in the corridor.

He said it is the state’s responsibility to create the conditions for a safe environment for truck drivers to put chains on and actually have truck parking “so we can be safe and others can be safe.”

Fulton highlighted the shortage of truck parking in the state. He said the problem is exacerbated when winter conditions make it difficult for travel and truckers who would rather not travel must do so due to parking shortages.

Doug Morris, OOIDA director of state government affairs, said it is good to see that Colorado recognizes the need for additional chain locations.

Left lane use

Left lane use for commercial vehicles traveling along multiple stretches of I-70 is also covered in the new law. Trucks already are prohibited from traveling in the left lane along I-70 through Glenwood Canyon.

Effective Aug. 7, trucks weighing at least 16,000 pounds are barred from far-left lane travel on Floyd Hill, Georgetown Hill, the Eisenhower Tunnel, Dowd Junction and Vail Pass. The restriction applies on stretches of highway with at least three lanes traveling in one direction.

Violators would face fines up to $100. Trucks are permitted to pass in the far-left lane.

Speed enforcement zones

One more provision creates commercial vehicle speed limit enforcement zones in Glenwood Canyon. Affected stretches of I-70 eastbound are between milepost 116 and milepost 131. Westbound truck traffic between milepost 118.5 and milepost 131 is also included. Speeding fines for trucks in the zones will be double.

The areas are described in the new law as “where there are safety concerns related to commercial motor vehicle drivers exceeding the posted speed limits.” The speed enforcement rule also takes effect Aug. 7.

OOIDA questions the need for the enforcement zones. Morris said there are no studies showing increased crashes in the area or where trucks are the main cause of incidents. LL