While metro interstates were plowed and had lanes showing by late Tuesday morning, drivers in Denver continued to battle thick layers of ice, slush and snow on main streets through the evening rush home and beyond.
The Denver Public Works Department deployed a full fleet — 68 plows — as soon as snowflakes started flying Monday evening, according to spokeswoman Christine Downs. But clearing roads takes longer when plows are forced to maneuver around downtown traffic and make stops at lights all day.
“It’s a different beast,” Downs said, “especially with this storm. It came in right during rush hour.”
Plows in the city face obstacles that plows on the interstate don’t, Downs said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation can line its plows shoulder to shoulder across an interstate and move with the flow of traffic. But in the city, cars, stoplights and humps of snow at every intersection make it harder to clear the way. Every time a plow stops at a stoplight or a stop sign, it loses momentum and drops snow.
Plows in Denver spread de-icer, but the effects of the material are lessened until temperatures begin to rise.
Urban roads did improve slightly throughout the day as cars smashed through compacted snow and ice, and plows pushed away the remains.
But while cars on the interstates were whizzing along at speeds in the 40s and 50s during the evening rush, Broadway, Lincoln Street and Colfax Avenue through the heart of downtown still had a covering of snow and few discernible lanes.
About 4 inches of snow was recorded Tuesday in the city — not quite enough to trigger the city’s pledge to put as many as 120 light plows onto neighborhood streets whenever 6 inches of snow or more is forecast.
The pledge was made after the winter of 2006-07, when Denver failed to get even major roads cleared within 24 hours following a series of severe snows. Neighborhood streets were choked with icy ruts for months during an extended deep-freeze. After that mess, the city promised it wouldn’t happen again.
This morning, there will still be some snow even on major thoroughfares. And CDOT warned Tuesday that it continued to battle icy spots, according to spokesman Mike Murray.
“We’re seeing a lot of pavement, but the problem is the snow-packed areas between the lanes,” Murray said.
Slick roads demanded slower speeds during Tuesday evening’s commute, especially on bridges and fly-overs, and this morning might bring the same after overnight temperatures dipped below zero.
Drivers were encouraged to allow extra time and limit distractions during their commute, according to Trooper Heather Cobler, spokeswoman for the Colorado State Patrol.
“We ask that drivers remember what the roads are like and what that means,” Cobler said. “Whenever you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle, that vehicle can actually be a deadly machine.”
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
