Snow, Ice Makes For Slow Commute In Metro Area
DENVER (CBS4)- The drive home from work Friday evening was expected to be a much smoother commute than drivers experienced during the Friday morning rush hour. Roads were slick and dangerous, making for a long drive.
An RTD bus stuck at 9th and Lincoln caused a major traffic backup. Icy conditions on the roads sent its back end over the curb.
Around the Denver metro area, snow came down fast and covered the streets.
The storm made for slick ramps off Interstate 25 and a slow commute into the city.
"Traffic was just backed up," said Mikki Von Weber, who rode the bus to downtown Denver from Wheat Ridge. "I had to leave like two hours early just to make it here on time."
"It was a little icy," said one driver, who drove into Denver from Castle Rock. "It seems like they hadn't plowed or laid down that stuff."
Heather Burke, spokesperson for Denver Public Works, said that all 70 of the city's main street plows had been out since 3 a.m. Friday clearing snow and de-icing.
"At 5:30 this morning, just before morning rush hour, temperatures just really went down," said Burke. "And since the pavement was really wet to begin with before the storm even hit, that's when we saw those slick conditions."
Bob Wilson, spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation said the morning mess was the result of a "perfect storm," a combination of many drivers hitting the roads early all at once, along with the storm coming in quickly.
"It was the time of day that the storm was really hitting at its peak (during) the morning rush," said Wilson.
CDOT officials warned drivers to be prepared for another possibly icy commute on the way home.
Denver Public Works officials said they expected the drive to be much smoother than the morning commute due to warmer temperatures.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
