Fed up with trucking accidents on I-70, Vail asks governor for strict enforcement, heavier fines
Town estimates cumulative economic impact to Colorado of closures on the interstate in 2024 exceeded $300 million
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The town of Vail is tired of cleaning up messes on Interstate 70 and is appealing to Colorado’s governor to crack down on commercial truckers.
In a , Mayor Travis Coggin urged Gov. Jared Polis to enact strict enforcement of traction laws and speed limits while also calling for stiffer penalties for commercial truckers who fail to comply.
“While we appreciate the recent update to existing chain laws, the State of Colorado’s current penalties are clearly still an inadequate deterrent for those who will ignore speed limits, lane restrictions and chain-up requirements and put others at risk for the sake of saving a few minutes on the road,” the letter states. “In addition, the $1,150 maximum fine for blocking a roadway is exceedingly low, considering the state’s own analysis indicating an economic cost of nearly $2 million for every hour I-70 is closed.”
The town estimates that in 2024, the cumulative economic impact of I-70 closures exceeded $300 million in Colorado. That’s based on information from the Colorado Department of Transportation, which recorded 99 full closures on I-70 across the state lasting a total of 161 hours.
The town also wrote in its letter that commercial vehicle drivers’ failure to comply with safety laws has put the town’s emergency responders in harm’s way in adverse conditions and “also impacts our ability to respond to emergencies in the town of Vail.”
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There has been a spate of crashes and closures on Vail Pass, in Vail and in Dowd Junction this winter.
A Jan. 7 heavy truck accident on westbound I-70 in Dowd Junction shut down those lanes for about five hours. Another accident in West Vail on Jan. 22 stranded people in Vail for hours, forcing Red Sandstone Elementary School to open to local students and parents who couldn’t get home.
Among the “deep concerns” the town cited in its letter are blocked ambulance routes to the only emergency room facility in Eagle County, safety concerns for those stuck in their vehicles in cold weather, environmental impacts of spilled hazardous materials, detrimental effects on the quality of life of residents, guests and workers who are unable to get to or from home or work, and negative experiences for Front Range and destination guests.
Getting truckers to chain up, slow down and stay in the right lane
Last year, Colorado passed legislation to prevent major accidents on I-70 by limiting heavy trucks to the right lane in Dowd Junction, as well as on the downhill stretches of Vail Pass, the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels, Georgetown Hill and Floyd Hill.
But Colorado Department of Transportation crews have yet to paint lanes in Dowd Junction or on Vail Pass in compliance with the new law 鈥� which went into effect in September. That work is set to be completed this year when the weather turns warmer.
Sen. Dylan Roberts, who represents Eagle County at the state Capitol, was the primary sponsor of that bill. In a previous interview with the Vail Daily, Roberts noted the success of similar painting in Glenwood Canyon.
Roberts is sponsoring another safety-related bill this session, Senate Bill 69, which would authorize third-party vendors to set up on-chain stations along mountainous stretches of I-70. For a fee, those vendors would install or sell and install chains or other traction devices on heavy trucks.
A second part of that bill would also require rental car companies to notify customers about the state’s traction laws.
Roberts said the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents the state’s trucking industry, supports the bill.
CDOT is also developing a program that would place photo radar cameras along major roadways as early as spring 2025.
The department’s Speed Safety Camera Program is aimed at helping enforce speed limits by issuing warnings and citations to drivers caught speeding without filling the roads with more troopers.
Although specific locations for the cameras have yet to be confirmed, I-70’s Floyd Hill and Glenwood Canyon were both thrown out as possible locations for speed enforcement cameras during a Jan. 15 Transportation Commission workshop.
Speeding is a common factor in crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries. Colorado State Troopers investigated over 560 fatal and injury crashes involving a speeding driver in 2024.
What the town of Vail is asking for
In its letter, the town asked the governor for strict enforcement of traction laws, speed limits, the mandatory use of right lanes, and for chain stop improvement in East Vail.
“Violations should be met with significant penalties to ensure compliance,” the town’s letter states. “The current penalties are not changing the behavior of the trucking industry. The penalty for a closure needs to be more commensurate with the financial impact it causes. The Town is prepared to work with the state to enhance enforcement recognizing that the Colorado State Patrol in our region is less than 50% staffed.”
As for the mandatory usage of the right lane in designated areas such as Dowd Junction and Vail Pass, the town said similar signage to what’s already in Glenwood Canyon can’t come soon enough.
“Our officers responding to incidents on Vail Pass and Dowd Junction report that the most frequent cause of a commercial vehicle incident occurs when trucks passing slower trucks lose traction and cause an incident,” the letter states.
The town said it’s also open to working with CDOT officials to improve the chain-up areas for Vail Pass.
“We would like to work with CDOT on the design and operation of the eastbound Vail Pass Chain-up area to both support truckers in chaining up and ensure truckers are chained up when required,” the letter states. “If approved, Senate Bill 25-069 could also provide chain-up support for truckers.”
In closing, the town also asked for financial support “to enhance our partnership with the state to better enforce the chain law, support commercial drivers in chaining up, and to more rapidly respond to incidents to reduce the time of closures.”
While the town sent its letter to the governor’s office, it also sent a carbon copy to Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Eagle County in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, and state Sen. Dylan Roberts, Rep. Meghan Lukens, House Speaker Julie McCluskie and CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
Scott Miller and Andrea Teres-Martinez contributed reporting.
