Colorado State Patrol launches weekly Interstate 70 chain law enforcement operations

Photo courtesy of Colorado Department of Transportation
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the number of citations issued last year for chain law violations.
The Colorado State Patrol is adding a layer of multi-agency enforcement operations to the state’s chain law beginning Thursday, Feb. 27.
State Troopers and partnering local agencies from Glenwood Springs to Golden will participate in chain carry checks along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor and other operations to enforce speed and chain law violations, according to a Tuesday release from the Colorado State Patrol.
The checks are an addition to the Colorado State Patrol’s existing chain checks at ports of entry, active chain-up stations and daily roadside contacts. Last year, Colorado State troopers and port of entry officers issued 976 citations for commercial vehicles that failed to comply with the chain law and 120 citations for violations that resulted in a road closure, according to Colorado State Patrol Sergeant Patrick Rice.
Interstate closures caused by vehicles not complying with the chain law have led Vail officials to request harsher penalties for drivers who don’t comply with chain requirements.
Weekly enforcement events will rotate days, and checks will be conducted when weather is not inclement to ensure commercial and private drivers are prepared.
The Colorado State Patrol will share the results of these checks each Friday until the end of Colorado chain law season.
Compliance with traction laws requires that passenger vehicle wheels have a 3/16-inch tread depth and be rated either “all-weather” or “Mud and snow.” Large commercial vehicles must carry chains when traveling on I-70 and other major roadways between Sept. 1 and May 31.
Senate Bill 69 — a Colorado bill being proposed by a bipartisan group of Western Slope lawmakers — would allow private companies to sell and install tire chains for motorists traveling along Interstate 70 on any of CDOT’s 20 designated chain-up sites, making it easier for vehicles to comply with the state’s chain law.
The bill is headed to an appropriations committee before getting a full Senate vote.
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