Troopers cite 262 in Dotsero chain checks, with the next check set for Tuesday
The Colorado State Patrol says two proactive chain law operations on Interstate 70 near Dotsero in late October contacted 703 commercial drivers and produced 262 citations. Another enforcement event is planned near Dotsero on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Commercial drivers crossing Eagle County on Interstate 70 are being checked for winter chains in dry weather, on purpose. The Colorado State Patrol has released the results of two proactive chain law enforcement operations held near Dotsero on Oct. 23 and Oct. 28, and the patrol says another chain enforcement event is planned in the same area on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Across the two October operations, troopers contacted 703 commercial drivers and issued 262 citations, according to the patrol figures. Of those citations, 63 were for chain violations, meaning a driver was not carrying chains as the state must-carry rule requires. Troopers also performed traffic stops on 119 professional drivers who failed to stop at the chain operation, issued citations in those stops, and checked those drivers for chains. The patrol reported a 91 percent compliance rate with the must-carry rule among the drivers it contacted.
The patrol says it runs operations of this kind during mild weather, before a storm arrives, to send a message to commercial drivers to stay prepared for winter weather along the I-70 mountain corridor. The same approach applies across the season: the patrol says it regularly implements chain checks at ports of entry, at active chain-up stations, and through daily roadside contacts, with the proactive operations added on top.
What the must-carry rule requires
Colorado's commercial chain rule is a season-long carry requirement, not a rule that waits for snow. From Sept. 1 through May 31, drivers of commercial vehicles and passenger carriers above 16,000 pounds in combined weight, including vehicles built to carry 16 or more people counting the driver, must carry tire chains or approved alternate traction devices on the listed mountain routes regardless of the weather at the time, according to the State Patrol's chain law guidance.
For valley drivers, the route that matters most is I-70 west of milepost 259 at Morrison to the Utah border, which covers Vail Pass, Dowd Junction, Glenwood Canyon and Dotsero itself. The patrol's list also covers Colorado Highway 9 from milepost 63 to 97, U.S. Route 40 from milepost 256 to the Utah border, U.S. Route 50 from milepost 225 to the Utah border, U.S. Route 160 from milepost 304 to the New Mexico border, U.S. Route 285 from milepost 250 to the New Mexico border, and all of U.S. Route 550.
The penalty schedule the patrol describes is an up to $500 fine plus a $79 surcharge for noncompliance with winter driving restrictions. When a driver becomes stuck and blocks traffic, the fine rises to $1,000, with a $157 surcharge added.
The next check, and where to verify conditions
The next planned operation is Tuesday, Nov. 10, near Dotsero on I-70. The patrol has not presented the October operations as a response to a crash or a closure, and no closure tied to the checks is described in its results. The stated purpose is preparation: a truck that cannot chain up on a pass in a storm can block the corridor for hours, and the October numbers show both how many drivers were ready and how many were not.
This article reports enforcement and the carry rule only. It is not a road conditions report, and it carries no forecast. Whether a traction law or chain law restriction is in effect at any given hour is announced by the Colorado Department of Transportation through roadway signs and through COtrip, its official travel site, and drivers should check those official channels before traveling rather than relying on any news account, including this one.
