Hazmat Route Changes Fought in Colorado

Lonnie Westphal, chief of the Colorado Highway Patrol, has until the end of April to decide whether to approve a petition by the state Department of Transportation to remove a section of Interstate 25 around the Denver area from the hazardous materials route system while adding similarly located portions of C-470 and Interstate 76.

The Colorado Motor Carriers Association believes the route additions are a good idea that will give truckers more options and alleviate traffic in congested area; however, the association has fought I-25’s deletion ever since it was proposed.

The association says its major concern is the danger of taking trucks off I-25 and forcing them onto a more circuitous route prone to worse weather.