Colorado officials blame drivers for mountain tie-up

[unhappycamper]

http://gazette.com/colorado-officials-blame-drivers-for-mountain-tie-up/article/1514640



Colorado officials blame drivers for mountain tie-up
Associated Press • Updated: February 15, 2014 at 5:54 am • Published: February 14, 2014

DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation is blaming drivers for a major traffic tie-up over the weekend, saying some of them were unprepared for winter driving in a state known for snow and ice.

It took some drivers around eight hours to get from Vail to the Denver area Sunday. Just going from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower Tunnel took some over four hours after so many skiers and snowboarders flocked to the mountains because of all the new snow.

The department said in a statement Thursday that some drivers had cars with bald tires, and big trucks were not using chains on slippery roads, bringing traffic to a near-standstill when vehicles spun out of control.

The department said 22 stranded vehicles had to be removed and 11 commercial vehicles were rescued after failing to put on chains for the approach to Eisenhower Tunnel.