Plow operator stops car being pursued by law enforcement on Berthoud Pass, shields traffic from danger

A traffic pursuit ended on Berthoud Pass Thursday afternoon after a Colorado Department of Transportation plow operator maneuvered in front of the vehicle to shield traffic from a potential collision. Authorities say the driver initially fled when a sergeant with Grand County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop him after he drove past a safety closure point on U.S Highway 40 near the Mary Jane entrance in Winter Park.

The snow plow and silver Jeep Cherokee collided around noon about 5 miles east of the summit of Berthoud Pass near mile marker 247. The plow sustained some damage while the other vehicle was totaled. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash.

The snow plow operator was performing winter operations on Berthoud Pass when the collision occurred.
Grand County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo

According to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, the sergeant was staffing the Berthoud Pass closure while winter operations were taking place. The closure was publicized across social media platforms as well as on an electronic sign displayed at the top of the pass.

The driver of Jeep Cherokee continued past the closure point and the sergeant attempted to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle. The Jeep disregarded the stop and continued heading eastbound on U.S. 40. Once the suspect entered into Clear Creek County, the sergeant suspended the stop and warned other law enforcement agencies about the vehicle.

Shortly after this, the Jeep was reported to have crashed into a snow plow just east of the Berthoud Pass summit.

The plow operator says the motorist appeared to be driving towards the traffic. The operator managed to maneuver the plow in front of the Jeep, which stopped it, according to an email from CDOT Region 3 Communication Manager, Elise Thatcher.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Empire Police Department and Colorado State Patrol all responded to the accident.

The Empire Police Department arrived to the scene first and took 33-year-old Randy Calvin into custody, who had allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot.

Calvin was booked into the Grand County Sheriff’s Office Jail on traffic charges related to the incident and an outstanding felony arrest warrant regarding parole violation.

Randy Calvin.
Grand County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office thanked the other responding agencies for their support in a press release.

“All too common in today’s society, the rule of law is questioned, which ultimately puts our communities at risk from those who choose to put their own agendas at the forefront over the safety of other citizens,” Sheriff Brett Schroetlin stated. “This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Grand County, where we will continue to enforce the law and arrest those that violate it.”

Sky-Hi News was scheduled to have a reporter in the same plow involved in the collision for a ride along, but it was canceled due to the accident.

Rules to follow around CDOT snow plows
  • Tandem snowplow law: It is illegal to pass a snowplow when it is displaying its lights and operating in a tandem formation with one or more snowplows. It is dangerous for motorists to try and pass plows in this formation because they could encounter white-out conditions and ridges of snow between lanes.
    • Passing on the right is never a good idea. Plows are designed to push all the snow, slush, rocks and other debris to the right of the plow. That debris could damage cars and cause motorists to lose visibility.
    • Don’t crowd the plow: Plows drop de-icer and sand behind it. If vehicles are too close, it could hit motorists. If a plow needs to suddenly stop, motorists should make sure they have plenty of room to do the same.
The scene that unfolded on the afternoon of March 14 after a plow and vehicle collided on Berthoud Pass. The Jeep was involved in a vehicle pursuit after he failed to yield at a safety closure on U.S Highway 40 near Winter Park.
Grand County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo

East Grand School District announces snow day, closes school

At around 5 a.m. this morning East Grand School district announced that it is taking a snow day due to weather and road conditions.

East Grand Superintendent, Brad Ray, explained that the decision to close the schools due to weather is not taken lightly. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, beginning at 3 a.m., will send Ray updates regarding road conditions. These updates continue until 5 a.m. when the school district has to ultimately decide whether to take a snow day or not.

This process is also done in collaboration with Grand County Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service.

A weather briefing on Wednesday, March 13, at 4 p.m. went over what to expect from the storm system. At this meeting, Ray was informed that forecasts were predicting heavy snowfall.

According to Ray, road conditions were not conducive for buses this morning. While the “main roads” were navigable, the road conditions in neighborhoods were not.

“It’s something we don’t take lightly. We value what we do every day and we want kids to be here but at the same time, you err on the side of caution and safety,” Ray said.

Update: Berthoud Pass reopened

Update: Berthoud Pass is reopened to traffic at as 12:25 p.m.

According the Colorado Department of Transportation, Berthoud Pass along U.S. Highway 40 is closed. The closure begins about eight miles east of Winter Park (mile point 243) to Guanella Street in Empire (mile point 256). The closure was instituted at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. CDOT states to expect delays due to safety concerns.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, the CDOT website is experiencing technical issues, but the team is working on correcting this. CDOT recommends to keep refreshing your browser in order to load the website.

A view of Berthoud Pass near Berthoud Falls from CDOT’s camera at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Colorado Dept. of Transportation/Courtesy Photo

Winter Park under winter storm warning beginning Wednesday

Winter weather is moving into the High Country, beginning Wednesday. The National Weather Service of Denver/Boulder issued a winter storm warning for Winter Park, starting Wednesday, March 13 at noon to 6 a.m. Friday.

Heavy snow will fall through Wednesday, with wind gusts up 15-18 mph. NWS stated that on Wednesday night, new snow accumulation of 10-16 inches is possible. On Thursday, 8-12 inches is possible, with wind gusts up to 21 mph. The snowfall will begin to lessen on Thursday night.

The rest of Grand County is under a hazardous weather outlook during this time. Fraser is expected to receive 12-22 inches from Wednesday through Thursday evening; Granby is expected to get around 10 inches and Kremmling is expected to get 3-4 inches.

In Grand County, Winter Park will be hardest hit by the storm.
National Weather Service of Denver-Boulder/Courtesy Photo

Changes to Red Dirt Hill coming in spring 2024

Red Dirt Hill, a 5-mile stretch on U.S. Highway 40 between Granby and Tabernash, is considered one of the most dangerous roadway sections in Grand County.

The Grand County Board of Commissioners have been in yearslong discussions with the Colorado Department of Transportation to improve this section of road and enhance safety. According to CDOT data, there have been 150 crashes on Red Dirt Hill from January 2014 to June 2019. There was a 50% increase in crashes from 2017-19, with six fatal crashes between January 2014 to December 2019.

In 2008, the community experienced tragedy when Fraser Valley Elementary School Principal Reba Ferguson died in an accident on Red Dirt Hill, which also involved a Granby resident who was airlifted to the hospital.

CDOT and commissioners believe that part of the danger on this portion of roadway lies with its speed limit. The main section of roadway is 65 mph. In 2020, The commissioners requested and funded $400,000 for a CDOT speed study, with the understanding that whatever the speed CDOT recommended would be posted.

Safety improvements

During the Dec. 12 county commissioner meeting, CDOT representatives presented commissioners with the study’s results. CDOT will reduce the entire 65 mph section of Red Dirt Hill from Granby to Tabernash down to 60 mph. The other posted speed limits on that section will remain the same.

Andi Staley, CDOT’s Region 3 traffic operations engineer, presented the study’s results, along with Karen Berdoulay, the Region 3 east program engineer. In a previous meeting with commissioners, CDOT representatives had stated that the 65 mph speed limit was high for a roadway with 5.5-6.5% grade. Red Dirt Hill has steep climbing lanes, as well tight curve radiuses and tilts that aren’t suitable for drivers going 65 mph – or sometimes faster to pass other drivers, according to CDOT.

This spring once the ground thaws, CDOT will install the 60 mph signs and inform Colorado State Patrol of the speed limit reduction.

Commissioner Rich Cimino was pleased with the results of the speed study.

“I’ll acknowledge there are those who commute it frequently that wish to get to where they’re going as fast as they can. So not everyone’s thrilled, but I am,” Cimino said.

Staley and Berdoulay then discussed the other safety improvements that are slated. The improvements will be separated into two phases.

In 2025, Phase 1 construction will begin to widen the shoulder on the side of the westbound lane. CDOT has recommended widening the shoulder as much as 6-8 feet. This will take place from mile marker 217-218.9. CDOT has already secured $10 million in funding for this phase, through the first funding cycle for fiscal years 2023-26.

Phase 2 will likely occur in fiscal year 2027 or later, because CDOT must wait until funding is available. The construction for Phase 2 will take place between mile marker 218.9-221.9. Improvements to this stretch will be more complicated because there is more variability in the area, including turnoffs. Accidents are more prevalent here, because there is a turnoff from the highway onto a different road.

CDOT will address this safety issue by widening the pavement to 56 feet. This includes building retaining walls in some areas where the road will widen into the hillside. The goal is to have more consistency with acceleration and deceleration lanes and add a 16-foot median for turn lanes.

First responders at the scene of an accident on U.S. Highway 40 at the west end of Red Dirt Hill in August 2016. County commissioners asked CDOT to conduct a safety study of Red Dirt in 2020. Construction for improvements is slated for 2025.
Sky-Hi News/Archive Photo

The total cost of both phases are estimated at nearly $30 million. The $20 million funding for Phase 2 will be received either in 2027 or 2031. CDOT did apply for two grants to receive funding sooner than 2027 but were unsuccessful.

CDOT has recommended other safety improvements for Red Dirt Hill. These are: add rumble strips; add and standardize acceleration and deceleration lanes; extend westbound climbing lane; shorten eastbound climbing lane slightly; widen shoulders; add eastbound guardrail; and add lighting at an intersection.

Commissioners Randy George, Merrit Linke and Cimino shared their approval of the safety improvements projects, which the county government has been advocating for over the last four years.

“I’m really glad where we finally are,” Cimino said. “The county invested $400k for this and were told it would pay off. Boy, it finally did. It took time, but these things take years.”

Discussions with new commissioner for CDOT District 6

During the Dec. 12 meeting, county commissioners also spoke with Rick Ridder, CDOT’s new commissioner for District 6.

The commissioners plan to have future meetings with Ridder to discuss other roadway concerns. These concerns are: continued maintenance for damage on Colorado Highway 125, increased traffic on Trough Road (which is partially unpaved), and impacts to U.S. 40 when Interstate 70 is closed. Ridder will also concentrate on northwest passenger railways, such as the rail between Denver and Grand County, which has stops in Winter Park, Fraser and Granby.

Results of Transportation Planning Region boundary study

Lastly, Jamie Grim, CDOT’s federal and local government liaison, presented on the agency’s Transportation Planning Region boundaries, or TPR. CDOT recently conducted a study on how to adjust the state’s TPR boundaries. While some counties will be shifted due to the results of the study, Grand County will remain in the Northwest TPR.

Grand County will remain in the Northwest Transportation Planning Region. CDOT also plans to create a more streamlined TPR-related website for the public to access, as well conduct outreach with elected officials to ensure they have a better understanding of TPRs.
Colorado Dept. of Transportation/Courtesy Image

More future improvements to come

At the conclusion of the meeting, CDOT staff discussed upcoming projects in Grand County. These include:

  • Paving on Berthoud Pass from mile marker to 226.5 to 233
  • Continuing the Fraser Capacity Improvements Study on U.S. 40, between the Rendezvous Road and County Road 5 intersections. The study will address reducing congestion and future transportation needs.
  • Improvements on the railroad bridge on Colorado 9, south of Kremmling
  • U.S. 40 shoulder improvements east and west of Kremmling
  • U.S. Highway 34 and U.S. 40 and intersection improvements
  • Patching on Colorado 125 and addressing the drainage issues on the roadway. The highway was badly impacted by the East Troublesome Fire.

National Weather service issues winter weather advisory for upcoming snowstorm in Colorado mountains

Mountain towns across Colorado are under a winter weather advisory until 5 p.m. Friday, March 8, another storm sweeps in from the West. 

With the state’s snowpack dropping just below average, 99% of the 30-year median, after reaching 100%, the upcoming storm could help keep basins well stocked with frozen water and near the historic average.

Meteorologists say the storms are targeting areas near the Continental Divide, from the southern portions of the state all the way up to the north. Anywhere from 4-8 inches of snowfall could accumulate in mountains spanning Summit County all the way to the foothills of the Front Range, and a winter storm warning in effect until 11 p.m. Friday says 5-14 inches could fall near Pikes Peak along with the Wet and Sangre de Cristo mountains. 

“Expect a mix of icy and snow-packed road surfaces on Thursday afternoon/evening and again from midday Friday through Friday night,” Open Snow meteorologist Sam Colentine wrote in his daily blog post for the Interstate 70 highway corridor. “Expect slower travel speeds during this time, especially near the Eisenhower Tunnel.”

The National Weather Service says road conditions will remain hazardous throughout the storm.

“The storm will be somewhat weak with its energy spread over a large area, but winds from the east should at least deliver decent snowfall near and east of the continental divide,” Open Snow founder and meteorologist Joel Gratz wrote in his daily blog post Thursday. 

He said the storm is largely being driven by convection, where rising warm air causes precipitation, much like summer storms. 

“This decreases confidence in the forecast since it’s difficult to impossible to accurately predict the exact location of the most intense snow showers,” Gratz wrote. 

He expects snow totals between 3-8 inches.

When snowstorms stack new snow on top of old snow, avalanche danger often elevates, so backcountry recreationists are advised to check warnings posted to Avalanche.state.co.us.

For travel alerts and road conditions, visit CoTrip.org. For weather information, check OpenSnow.com or Weather.gov/bou/.

This story is from Summit Daily.

CDOT announces that alternating traffic is planned for Berthoud Pass on Tuesday due to winter maintenance operations

Colorado Department of Transportation has stated that crews will begin winter maintenance operations on U.S. Highway 40 Berthoud Pass on Tuesday, March 5. These operations will begin at 8 p.m. and result in alternating traffic, so motorists should plan for delays.

CDOT stated that alternating traffic will take place from approximately Mile Point 236 (south of the Mary Jane access road for Winter Park Resort) to Mile Point 243 (top of Berthoud Pass).

The maintenance operations are necessary because of heavy snow from recent storms. Light snow is expected in the area on Tuesday.

“Berthoud Pass will fully reopen once the work is safely completed,” CDOT stated on its Facebook page. “By taking proactive measures to close Berthoud Pass, this will prevent incidents and extended closures for the traveling public.”

Check COTrip.org for updated information.

Update: Trough Road now open

Update, 6:31 p.m. – CR 1/Trough Road is now opened. Please drive with caution.

Grand County Road 1, Trough Road, is temporarily closed due to vehicle recoveries from road conditions, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. This closure occurred at 3:21 p.m., Sunday.

CDOT says closures likely along I-70 and US 40 overnight Saturday and into Sunday

Heavy snow and strong winds in the High Country are predicted to produce dangerous travel conditions Saturday evening through Monday morning. Motorists should prepare for the likelihood of overnight safety closures through Sunday along Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 40, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Meteorologists predict 8-15 inches of snow with wind gusts ranging 50-70 mph. The strong winds with snowfall will create whiteout conditions and zero visibility. CDOT is warning motorists that this will likely result in safety closures for I-70 and U.S. 40.

These closures, if necessary, will allow crews to conduct winter maintenance operations along Berthoud Pass.

Motorists should be prepared to pass traction law requirements and for slick travel conditions in the mountains. CDOT strongly encourages drivers to slow down while driving and allow for ample space between cars. It is suggested that travelers pack blankets, clothing, food, water and entertainment.

CDOT maintenance crews will be working to clear the roadways of snow and ice. The department is also reminding motorists to never pass plow operators on the right and to have patience on the roads.

Check COTrip.org for current road conditions or dial 511. Motorists can also download the free COtrip Planner app to get the latest updates on road conditions and closures.

Summit County Coroner’s Office identifies 19 year old who died in crash on Colorado Highway 9

The Summit County Coroner’s Office has identified the woman who died in a single-vehicle car crash on Colorado Highway 9 north of Silverthorne on Monday, Feb. 26.

Gwyneth Williams, 19, of Denver, died in the crash, Summit County Coroner Amber Flenniken said. The crash, which occurred around 9:40 a.m., closed the highway for about four hours that day.

Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jeanne Rahe said Williams was driving a white Subaru Crosstrek southbound on the highway when she went off the right side of the roadway near mile marker 115.

The front side of the vehicle collided into multiple trees before the vehicle went airborne, rotating clockwise, before coming to a final rest up against a tree, she said.

Williams was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, Rahe said. Medical personnel reportedly declared Williams dead at the scene.

This story is from Summit Daily.