Perfect Storm Of Driver Chaos Hits Timnath Walmart Parking Lot

TIMNATH, Colo. (CBS4) — As snow rolled in to Northern Colorado ahead of Thanksgiving, residents in Timnath say they were trapped in the Walmart parking lot at Harmony Road and Interstate 25 for almost an hour, Monday.

A lunch rush mixed with grocery shoppers, those fueling vehicles before the storm, others changing into snow tires and more caused a significant traffic backup, forcing some to turn off their vehicles while they waited for traffic leaving the parking lot to budge.

CBS4 viewers sent in video and photos of Chick-Fil-A employees attempting to direct traffic while it snowed.

"(It) took me over 45 minutes to even get out of the parking lot. It's not worth it!" one resident posted on Facebook.

"(I) tried to turn out but have been stuck for an hour going nowhere. I can't get out," another posted.

Some said it took more than 20 minutes to get out of the Chick Fil A parking lot, just to get in the back of the line to exit the shopping center.

"So frustrating. Poor design + impending snowstorm + thanksgiving = madness," one resident posted online.

The traffic issues have been a major concern for residents in Timnath and Fort Collins for more than a year. A three-way stop allows traffic coming in to the shopping center the right of way. However, all exits from the lot are blocked by those coming in.

One resident claimed they sat for more than 10 minutes trying to back out of a parking spot.

The frustrations, according to residents, started as early as 10 a.m. Monday.

Some residents say they've expressed their frustrations, especially during busy travel times, to the town. The town posted this response on the growing frustrations.