Commercial Vehicle Highway Safety Measures

Current law allows the department of transportation (department) to issue closures or require certain equipment on interstate 70 (I-70) from September 1 through May 31 each year between milepost 133 in Dotsero and milepost 259 in Morrison.

Section 1 of the bill changes the geographic location where the department has authority to require certain equipment to interstate 25 (I-25) and any interstate, U.S. highway, and state highway west of I-25 the following corridors located on the western slope from September 1 through May 31 of each year during any conditions that exist on the highway for any commercial vehicle with a declared gross vehicle weight rating of 16,001 pounds or more:

• 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); and
• U.S. Route 550 from milepost 0 to 130.

Section 2 allows the department to establish heightened speed limit enforcement zones (zone) within public highways in Glenwood Canyon on I-70 eastbound from milepost 116.0 to milepost 131.0 and westbound from milepost 118.5 to milepost 131.0 where there are safety concerns related to commercial motor vehicle drivers exceeding the posted speed limits. If the department establishes a zone, the department must erect signs identifying the zone and notifying commercial motor vehicle drivers that increased fines are assessed for speeding in the zone. Section 3 makes it a traffic offense for any commercial vehicle to be driving in the farthest left lane on I-70 between milepost 116 115.5 and milepost 131.0 in Glenwood Springs, and milepost 259 in Morrison between milepost 169.5 and milepost 173.0 in Dowd junction, between milepost 180.0 and milepost 190.5 in Vail pass, between milepost 205.5 and milepost 221.0 in the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel, between milepost 224.0 and milepost 228.5 in Georgetown hill, and milepost 243.0 and milepost 247.0 in Floyd hill during all conditions on that highway except to safely pass a vehicle driving under the posted speed limit. Section 4 subjects a commercial motor vehicle driver who commits a speeding violation in a heightened speed limit enforcement zone to double fines and surcharges except when the driver of a commercial motor vehicle commits the violation within a highway maintenance, repair, or construction zone and is already subject to an increase penalty and surcharge . Section 5 ensures that a port of entry officer has all the powers of a peace officer when enforcing highway closures and the state's winter traction device law. Section 6 requires the freight mobility and safety branch of the department to study the feasibility of funding additional locations of chain-up and chain-down stations utilizing the money from the increased penalties in zones within public highways in Glenwood Canyon and to study what appropriate technology could be added to existing chain-up and chain-down stations to improve safety and mobility. The study must examine the economic and safety impacts of commercial motor vehicle incidents and closures during inclement weather events and examine commercial motor vehicle parking locations on I-70. Section 7 allows the study on feasibility of new chain-up stations to also be funded by the fuels impact reduction grant program.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)