An Advisory to Citizens of Clear Creek County

from the

Road & Bridge Department Regarding

Winter Operations

During the 2009/2010 winter season, the Road and Bridge Department would like to take the opportunity to inform the citizens of Clear Creek County about what to expect for snow plowing and sanding operations.

Clear Creek County has a diverse labor force and it is impossible to meet the needs of each of our citizens. Therefore, the Road and Bridge Department asks that anyone operating a motor vehicle during this season take the time to equip their vehicle with necessary winter equipment.

The following is an inventory list of necessary items that should be in each vehicle:

< Matches and Candles

< Flashlight with Extra Batteries

< First Aid Kit

< Tire Chains

< Small Sack of Sand or Cat Litter

< Shovel and Small Tool Kit

< Tow Chain or Strap

< Jumper Cables

< Warning Triangles

All motorists must realize there may be periods during storm events when the roads will not be freshly plowed and sanded. The Road and Bridge Department request that for your safety you are prepared for these conditions and understand the proper use of the devices outlined in the inventory list. Additionally, all motorists should tell someone when and where they will be traveling to prevent being stranded for long periods of time.

Now for our part - The Road and Bridge Department Operators must possess a Commercial Drivers License (CDL). The Clear Creek County Government is required to follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Part 395 (Hours of Operation). It is in violation of Part 395 to require our operators to drive their respective equipment for more than 11 hours following a 10-hour “off-duty” period.

Since this department only has as many operators as there are plow routes, we can only offer service for 11 consecutive hours, followed by an 10-hour “off duty” period each day. It is the policy of this department to clear the school bus routes first and then the collector or “Primary” classified roads for peak traffic travel. After these roads are cleared, the local roads or “Secondary” roads are then plowed.

During a snow event, our operators are notified at 3:00 a.m. to begin operations at 4:00 a.m. All plow routes are designed to take approximately 8 hours to complete (this generally means each road is plowed once during this time). During continuous snow storms, the operators will work the maximum allowed hours, but may have to concentrate on Primary classified roads, which is the reason some Secondary roads may receive little if any attention. At no time can we offer service between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

A rule of thumb is “the lower the traffic volume on a road, the more likely the road is to receive little or no attention during large snow-fall events.” The Road and Bridge Department provides sand barrels and shovels located in strategic places. Please learn where these are.

Our hope is that by offering this information, motorists will prepare themselves with the inventory listed above and try to plan their trips in conjunction with our schedule. If you have any questions, please call the Road and Bridge Office at 303-679-2334 to have your questions answered or directed. We will publish updates to our ‘Snow Removal Policy’ as they occur.