A petition has been approved by Colorado State Patrol, which allows gasoline, diesel fuel, petroleum gas, and crude oil to be transported on Weld County Road (WCR) 49 between Interstate 76 and U.S. 34.
The petition was approved to further the proposed state statute modifications for hazmat transportation rules. There will be a rulemaking hearing on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, with the new route designation scheduled to be effective on Thursday, April 1, 2021.
“Designating WCR 49 as a state hazmat route is a great step forward from a safety and efficiency standpoint,” said Weld County Commissioner Chair Mike Freeman. “We constructed WCR 49 to safely accommodate multiple industries, and now the energy industry will have an alternate corridor to transport fuels throughout our county, which will also relieve congestion on Highway 85, improving our regional transportation system,” Mike said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Title 42, Article 20 of the Colorado Revised Statutes controls hazardous materials routing by motor vehicles on all public roads in the state. The Weld County Board of Commissioners and the Weld County Department of Public Works provided application information to the state for approval.
A road must meet criteria regarding feasibility, practicality, and the ability to move goods from one jurisdiction to another to be considered a hazmat route. The road also graded on many safety requirements that show it provides greater safety to the public than other roads.
Virtual public meetings took place on Tuesday, December 1, and Saturday, December 5, to gather feedback from the public on Weld County’s petition. Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer and representatives from the Weld County Department of Public Works presented Weld County’s application, listened to feedback, answered questions, and addressed opposition.
“I would like to once again thank you for what was frankly a petition that was very well done,” said Colorado State Patrol Captain John Hahn in an email. “The document itself is one that will moving forward, serve as an example to future entities wishing to petition CSP for routing designation or changes,” John said.
For more information regarding Colorado’s Hazardous Material routing, visit: https://www.codot.gov/business/hazmat-routing or to learn more about the Weld County Department of Public Works, visit: https://www.weldgov.com/departments/public_works
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