Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently approved new legislation affecting the trucking industry.
The new law includes several key changes:
- It updates the locations where truck drivers must use chains and requires a study to explore expanding these locations.
- It establishes a special speed enforcement zone on highways in Glenwood Canyon.
- It makes it illegal for commercial vehicles to use the left lane in certain areas.
“Ensuring that our roads and highways are safe is important, especially here in Colorado’s high country, and these bills help accomplish that,” said Polis when signing the bill into law. “I appreciate the work of the sponsors on this legislation and look forward to making our roads safer by signing these bills.”
The legislation specifies seven areas on the western slope where commercial vehicles weighing over 16,001 pounds are required to use chains from September 1 to May 31 under certain conditions. These areas are:
- Interstate 70 west of milepost 259 (Morrison)
- Colorado state highway 9 from milepost 63 to milepost 97 (Frisco to Fairplay)
- U.S. Route 40 west of milepost 256 (Empire)
- U.S. Route 50 west of milepost 225 (Salida)
- U.S. Route 160 west of milepost 304 (Walsenburg)
- U.S. Route 285 west of milepost 250 (Morrison)
- U.S. Route 550 from milepost 0 to 130
Additionally, the Colorado Department of Transportation now has the authority to set special speed-limit zones through Glenwood Canyon on I-70, with double fines for truckers exceeding those limits.
The law also prohibits commercial vehicles from driving in the farthest left lane on certain sections of highways, except when passing a slower vehicle. These sections include:
- Milepost 115.5 to 131.0 in Glenwood Springs
- Milepost 169.5 to 173.0 in Dowd Junction
- Milepost 180.0 to 190.5 in Vail Pass
- Milepost 205.5 to 221.0 in the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel
- Milepost 224.0 to 228.5 in Georgetown Hill
- Milepost 243.0 to 247.0 in Floyd Hill
Furthermore, the new law grants port of entry officers the same authority as peace officers to enforce highway closures and the state’s winter traction device regulations.
Source: Truckers News
