Can you imagine?! Bad weather closes Interstate 70 from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels as it did in February.

We left Silverthorne last Tuesday for Denver at 3:15 p.m. On the stroke of 5:30 p.m., after more than two hours of dodging sliding semis and creeping-out-of-control cars, we disappeared into the tunnel maw. Imagine, we never ever saw any highway patrol or sheriff’s cars on that roadway for more than two hours. Imagine there is no enforcement of Colorado’s traction laws or chain laws for trucks. Imagine, there is no information on road conditions as you enter eastbound I-70 from Silverthorne. 

I’ve lived here for 13 years, and nothing has changed. Plows can’t squirt mag chloride because the road is clogged. Wreckers can’t get through for the same reason. Here’s a really crazy idea. Imagine, no semis get past Exit 205 eastbound unless they’re wearing chains. No cars get past Exit 205 unless they meet the traction laws.

I know, I know — that would delay traffic and require human intervention. Instead, should we let total chaos prevail on the road and then close it? Imagine, there might be a better solution.

Let’s just stop the excuses and do something different. Just imagine!