Dry Weather Worsens in Colorado

Page 6 Lost Creek Guide October 21, 2020

Dry Weather Worsens in Colorado; 17% of I-76 Road Work near Fort Morgan and Brush!

State is in “Exceptional Drought” Nearing Completion Early

The drought is happening just a year after FORT MORGAN – The Colorado Department of Transportation anticipates reopening most of Colorado was declared drought-free. The summer drought that lingered throughout Colorado has become worse. The entire state is currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions and nearly 17% of the land area is in exceptional drought, the most extreme category, the U.S. Drought Monitor said. The drought is happening just a year after most of Colorado was declared drought-free. The western part of the state has been hit the hardest, with Kiowa County on the Eastall lanes on Interstate 76 near Fort Morgan and Brush this month after a major resurfacing project. Meeting an aggressive construction schedule this season means little to no impact on I-76 through the center of Morgan County in 2021. Between now and the end of the month, CDOT will reopen lanes as soon as work is complete in a particular section. “We’re thrilled to wrap up this project in a single season. Thank you to the project team for the well thought out and executed plan and the town of Brush! and its citizens for your partnership and patience to make this a successern Plains also experiencing exceptional drought, which can bring dust storms and cripple ful project. Several bridges and over 20 lane-miles of I-76 were in critical need of repair. agriculture, Colorado Public Radio reported. We’re turning over a smoother and safer highway,” said CDOT regional Transportation

Conditions have deteriorated over the past year due to drier conditions, warmer temDirector Heather Paddock. peratures and a higher level of evaporation. It has also been a perfect backdrop for wild- Although mainline highway paving on I-76 was complete this summer, guardrail and fires. bridge railing replacement required 24/7 lane closures to remain in place. The contractor

“That’s exactly why we’re still seeing a high fire danger and still seeing active fires in team led by Martin Marietta is currently placing permanent signs and delineators, grindplaces,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the U.S. Drought Monitor. “Typically this ing rumble strips, and installing final erosion control measures. Final lane striping is also time of year we’re cooling off and starting to get wetter. That just hasn’t happened yet.” underway. There are several active fires in the state, the largest of which is in Larimer County in The U.S. Highway 34 corridor through Fort Morgan and Brush also received attention the north. The Cameron Peak fire has torched more than 200 square miles (518 square this season. Crews repaired four bridges, resurfaced 24 lane-miles, and reconstructed five kilometers) and is 42% contained. A fire began on Wednesday just south of Kremmling blocks in downtown Brush this year. Work on U.S. 34 is ahead of schedule with over 80 near Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests. The wildfire burned more than 80 acres (32 percent of the planned work complete in one construction season instead of two. When hectares) in just a few hours, prompting evacuations. the contactor returns in spring, asphalt resurfacing work will be limited to a one-mile seg-

It is the fourth time in two decades — following 2002, 2006 and 2012 — that the entire ment in Fort Morgan. state has been classified as abnormally dry or in drought. PROJECT INFORMATION

Tom Renwick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the state could For additional information about this project, contact the project team. return to pre-2020 figures as long as the winter provides some precipitation. Project hotline: 970-427-4005

“If we get a decent winter, and it doesn’t have to be, ‘Oh my God, the most amazing Project email: i76us34@workzone.info winter ever,’ but a decent winter with a decent amount of snowfall, we’ll get rid of the Project web page: https://www.codot.gov/projects/i-76-us-34-fort-morgan-brush-drought,” Renwick said. “It looks really bad, but you know, I wouldn’t freak out just yet.” resurfacing Construction alerts: Text CONSTRUCT to 21000 and sign up for updates at https:// www.codot.gov/projects/i-76-us-34-fort-morgan-brush-resurfacing. For information on travel conditions visit COTrip.org, sign up for GovDelivery, or call 511. Updates are also available via Twitter @coloradodot and CDOT’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/coloradodot. REMEMBER: SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE The following tips are to help you stay safe while traveling through maintenance and construction work zones. • Do not speed in work zones. Obey the posted speed limits. • Stay Alert! Expect the unexpected. • Watch for workers. Drive with caution. • Expect delays, especially during peak travel times. • Allow ample space between you and the car in front of you. • Anticipate lane shifts and merge when directed to do so. • Avoid using mobile devices such as phones while driving in work zones. • Turn on headlights so that workers and other drivers can see you. • Be especially alert at night while driving in work zones. • Be patient! COVID-19 Safe transportation infrastructure is essential for emergency first responders and freight drivers as Colorado navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, road maintenance and construction continues on CDOT projects with social distancing and other health safety measures to reduce COVID-19 exposure on the worksite. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced guidelines for construction activities. The public is urged to join the campaign for #DoingMyPartCO by practicing social distancing, wearing face masks, staying at home when possible, and avoiding nonessential travel. With fewer vehicles on the roads, CDOT crews will be able to work more efficiently and safely. WHOLE SYSTEM. WHOLE SAFETY. Last year, CDOT announced its Whole System — Whole Safety initiative to heighten safety awareness. This initiative takes a systematic statewide approach to safety combining the benefits of CDOT’s programs that address driving behaviors, our built environment and the organization›s operations. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorado’s transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The program has one simple mission—to get everyone home safely. ABOUT CDOT CDOT has approximately 3,000 employees located throughout Colorado, and manages more than 23,000 lane miles of highway and 3,429 bridges. CDOT also manages grant partnerships with a range of other agencies, including metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and airports. It also administers Bustang, the state-owned and operated interregional express service. Gov. Polis has charged CDOT to further build on the state’s intermodal mobility options.

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October 21, 2020 Lost Creek Guide Page 7

Report: Nine Dead Each Day from Distracted Driving By Polis Extends Mask Order As Colorado’s Coronavirus Hospitalizations Climb Chuck Murphy, David Zalubowski/AP

October is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis pulls on a face covering after making a point during a news confer-

DENVER (Oct. 1, 2020) - You’re behind the wheel, your phone buzzes, and you briefly ence, Sept. 29, 2020, in Denver. take your eyes off the road to check your notifications. Harmless, right? Dead wrong: Per Faced with rising hospitalizations and concern that COVID-19 is continuing to spread research from AAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis said Friday that a mandatory mask requirement would consending or reading a text takes an average of five seconds. At 55 mph, then, you’ll have tinue and be extended for at least another 30 days. traveled the length of a football field with your eyes off the road. During his regular state briefing on the coronavirus, Polis emphasized that while the

Little wonder that distracted driving regularly results in devastating consequences. infection may impact older populations at a higher rate it has resulted in hospitalizations Each year, nearly 3,500 for every age group. lives are lost to drivers Currently, Colorawho divert their atten- dans in his age group, tion from the road – 40-49, are overrepreeven for a few seconds. sented in hospitalizaAnother 391,000 people tions for the disease are injured, according caused by the coronato NHTSA. All told, dis- virus. People in that tracted driving is the age group are about third leading driver-re- 13 percent of Cololated cause of crash fa- rado’s population, talities, behind speeding but now almost 14 and driving under the percent of those who influence. are hospitalized with Why? Using your cell COVID-19. phone is fundamentally “I’m the most worincompatible with safe ried I have been since early in July,” Polis said. driving – just like drink- The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has grown by 110, or nearly 45 pering. Research from the cent, since Sept. 28, when 246 were hospitalized. As of Thursday afternoon, 356 were AAA Foundation for hospitalized with the illness caused by the virus. Traffic Safety, the na- Polis attributed the growth in cases and hospitalizations to “coronavirus fatigue,” action’s leading automo- knowledging that people are just tired of the virus, and the restrictions. tive safety research orga- At the same time, he warned that, with winter coming, Coloradans would need to furnization, has found that ther minimize their contacts with other people, and “wear a damn mask.” taking your eyes off the “We’re not through this yet,” Polis said. “I think more of it is behind us than ahead of road for just two seconds doubles your chances of being involved in a crash. us, but we need to redouble our efforts.”

What’s more, drivers interacting with cell phones to perform tasks such as texting or Polis’s mask order requires people 11 and older to wear a mask when inside a public surfing the Internet are between two and eight times more likely to be involved in a crash. space or public transportation. 43 percent of those involved in a recent crash admit to texting while driving in the past But, as he has many times during the pandemic, Polis appeared agitated at the notion month compared to 27 percent not involved in a crash, and fully 59 percent of all teen that Coloradans need a government order to know that wearing a mask would protect crashes involve some form of driver inattention. them and their families from the spread of a potentially deadly virus.

“A distracted driver is a lot like an intoxicated one,” said Skyler McKinley, director of He called mask-wearing “common sense” and compared it to the spread of athlete’s public affairs for AAA Colorado. “When a driver’s attention is diverted from the road, their foot in a gym, noting that, when that happens, everyone puts on shoes for a few days to reaction time slows – and lives are jeopardized.” protect their feet from the fungus.

Take the Pledge to Stay Safe With the coronavirus, the consequences are far worse, he noted.

According to the 2019 Traffic Safety Culture Index, nearly 97 percent of drivers believe “This ain’t athletes foot,” Polis said. that texting and driving is very dangerous – and yet, per the same survey, nearly 40 per- The governor also emphasized the need to avoid crowds as Halloween approaches, recent admit to having done it in the past 30 days. Why? Fundamentally, smartphone apps vealing that his family intends to decorate a couple of rooms at his home and just trick or “leverage the very same neural circuitry used by slot machines to keep us using their prod- treat indoors on Halloween night. ucts as much as possible,” per Harvard University. If it feels like you’ve become addicted Not everyone will want to do that, he acknowledged, so if you go out, he encouraged it to your phone, it’s because you have. to be done safely.

Luckily, fighting that addiction while behind the wheel is as simple as stowing your “Make the mask part of it,” Polis said. smartphone. For Distracted Driving Awareness Month, take the pledge to drive distraction free at AAA.com/StaySafe.

You’re in control of how you drive. Your smartphone isn’t. • Prepare for your drive. Set vehicle systems such as GPS, seats, mirrors, climate controls, and sound systems before hitting the road. Decide on your route and check traffic conditions ahead of time. Mental distractions last longer than you think - up to 27 seconds after dialing, texting or changing the radio station. • Disable or stow electronics. Never use text messaging, email, video games, or internet functions, including those built into the vehicle, while driving. Stow your smartphone away, turn it to airplane mode, or activate call/text blocking features. Learn how at AAA.com/StaySafe. • Stay focused. Do not let anything divert your attention. Be sure to actively scan the road, use your mirrors, and watch out for pedestrians and cyclists. If you have passengers, enlist their help as a “designated texter.” Ask them to answer your calls, respond to texts, and program the navigation. • Pull over. If you have to call or text while on the road, pull off the road safely and stop first. • Be a good passenger. Speak out if the driver of your vehicle is distracted. • Don’t be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.

Colorado Law

For adult drivers, regular cell phone use for voice calls is permitted and headphones may be worn in one ear for this purpose. Distracted driving is illegal: Adult drivers are prohibited from manual data entry and transmission on a cell phone (i.e., to send a text message or browse the internet) while behind the wheel.

Drivers under 18, meanwhile, are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving. The prohibition includes phone calls, text messaging, or similar forms of manual data entry and transmission.

A single, seconds-long distraction is all it takes to forever change the course of your life,” McKinley said.”No life is worth losing to distraction. Pay attention, focus on the road, and put the phone away to save lives this National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and, in fact, all year long.”

About AAA – The Auto Club Group

AAA Colorado is a proud part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the second-largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA. com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Learn more.