CDOT Planning To Use Road Shoulder To Help Ease Traffic
MORRISON, Colo. (CBS4) – The Colorado Department of Transportation announced on Friday a new test they'll be doing to try to keep the traffic moving along Interstate 70.
The agency will be testing the shoulder of the road to see how fast it could be.
"We have two buses, one bus will be traveling in the general purpose lanes with everyone else. The other bus will use the other lane," said Crystal Morgan from CDOT.
In May general traffic will also be trying the shoulder.
It's the latest in a round of experiments to ease congestion that adds 40 minutes to the ride on good days and even more when the weather is bad.
Last year CDOT tried to control traffic by escorting vehicles along I-70.
Major construction to widen the highway would take years and millions of dollars to achieve.
"There are a lot of options we have to look into without necessarily looking at one big budget option," said Morgan.
Ralf Garrison monitors the success of the ski industry and he says local contempt for the jams keep them from enjoying the mountain experience and the CDOT tests have done little to curb the feeling.
"I suppose anecdotally that helps us feel better but at the end of the day the real solutions are tough," said Garrison.
CDOT will run the bus experiment for three weeks.
Travel analysts aren't optimistic that it would actually ease the congestion.
