Bypass providers PrePass and Drivewyze have partnered with the Colorado DOT to provide alert services to warn of steep grades on I-70 in the state. In addition to the alerts from PrePass and Drivewye, CDOT has created an educational campaign for drivers in response to an increase in truck crashes along I-70’s mountainous areas.
The alerts from PrePass and Drivewyze will notify truck drivers of looming steep grades on I-70 abnd notifies them as they approach runaway truck ramps along the route. Drivers will also receive alerts for seven sites along I-70 where they can perform brake checks and/or during winter, complete truck tire chain-ups or removals.
CDOT’s Mountain Rules campaign also consists of:
-Signage on eastbound Interstate 70 and all eastbound chain stations, east of the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels, with information on the brake check locations for truckers.
-Restriping the wide eastbound exit ramp at the Genesee Park Interchange into a more-defined short-term truck parking area where overheated brakes can cool down and equipment checks can take place prior to the final descent into the Golden area.
-A new subscription-based, in-cab alert system, warning truck drivers about specific areas where brake failures could occur, and the location of brake check and runaway truck ramps.
-Information gathering on the feasibility of a new ramp and other measures to mitigate runaway trucks, such as geometric and signage improvements to the existing Mount Vernon Canyon Truck Runaway Ramp.
