Shelters Considered In Clear Creek County For Stranded Travelers
GEORGETOWN, Colo. (CBS4)- Along rural stretches of Interstate 70 through Clear Creek County, there are few places to find shelter if the road closes and you are stuck.
"It can turn really bad, fast," said Clear Creek Sheriff Rick Albers.
Some people in the county would like to provide temporary shelters to those trapped during a snowstorm, but the big question remains: where?
During the Christmas Eve snowstorm, for example, some people had nowhere to go once the road closed on both sides of the county line, from Floyd hill and Eisenhower tunnel.
"I call it the bathtub, we don't want people getting stuck in this area," Albers said.
Albers says because there are few places to house stranded motorists in the county, he has asked the Colorado Department of Transportation to keep the eastbound lane open during emergencies so drivers can return to Denver and wait out the storm.
It's not a new problem but one they are trying to solve using new approaches.
The best advice is to not become stuck along I-70 and risk getting caught in a closure in the first place.
Matt Kroschel covers news throughout Colorado working from the CBS4 Mountain Newsroom. Send story ideas to mrkroschel@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter @Matt_Kroschel.