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Local officials urge motorists to refrain from taking alternate county road routes suggested by map apps. ( Colorado )
Sky-Hi News ^ | Jan 15, 2024 | Tara Alatorre

Posted on 01/16/2024 5:58:01 AM PST by george76

Update, 5 p.m.: The Grand County Sheriff’s Office stated that County Road 1/Trough Road is reopened. Please drive with caution.

A massive amount of snow has fallen across Grand County over the weekend triggering an avalanche and multiple highway closures. As of noon on Jan. 15 U.S. Highway 40 is still closed in both directions near Berthoud Pass while snow removal continues, Rabbit Ears Pass is closed in both direction on U.S. 40 and Colorado 125 is closed in both directions from mile point 0 to Forest Road 730, which is south of Walden.

While everyone is trying to navigate the closures they are turning to map apps to find alternate routes. Grand County Sheriff’s Office is urging motorists to verify and review their travel plans instead of solely relying on apps as some people have become stuck and other routes are closed to local traffic only.

Several vehicles became stranded on County Road 50/Church Park on the morning of Jan. 15 while taking an alternate route suggested by a map app. The sheriff’s office with the assistance of Grand County Road and Bridge were able to assist the stranded travelers and help them get back on the road.

“Unfortunately, these motorists all followed an online electronic mapping program that had misadvised County Road 50 was an alternate viable route to the Berthoud Pass closure. County Road 50 is not a sustainable winter travel route and all motorists are encouraged to individually review and verify their travel plans prior to relying solely on a mapping app,” the sheriff’s office wrote on its Facebook page Monday morning.

In addition, County Road 1/Trough Road is restricted to local traffic only due to safety concerns. Unless you live in the immediate area, motorists will not be able to use the route.

Erin Opsahl, the communications director for Grand County Sheriff’s Office explained that often when there are closures on U.S. 40 and Interstate 70 travel apps try to direct motorists to Trough Road and become stuck due to treacherous road conditions. There is very limited cell phone service on the road that exacerbates the problem.

“We are working with Google to update their mapping and not identify these local county roads as alternative travel routes,” Opsahl stated.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Outdoors; Travel; Weather
KEYWORDS: apps; colorado; google; googlemapping; googlemaps; map; mapapps; mapping
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To: Lurker

Or James Kim?


21 posted on 01/16/2024 8:02:50 AM PST by GSWarrior
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To: george76

Unless you have an emergency, even the main highways are bad. Stay home. It will warm up tomorrow.


22 posted on 01/16/2024 9:12:56 AM PST by dynachrome (War does not determine who is right, but who is left.)
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To: george76

Or the electronically dependent could just stay out of the mountains.

Mountains are like honey badgers. They don’t care! :)


23 posted on 01/16/2024 5:05:28 PM PST by TigersEye (Our Republic is under seige by globalist Marxists. Hold fast!)
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