Colorado Introduces New Fines For Truckers

Drivers who go illegally on the I-70 mountain express lane will get huge fines.

This week, Colorado governor Jared Polis signed the bill 22-1074 of House of Representatives. The law allows officials to take action against car and commercial vehicles drivers who illegally use the 13-mile I-70 Mountain Express lane from Empire at the 230-mile mark through the Veterans Memorial Tunnels to Idaho Springs.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plans to use cameras to detect violators.

Use of the I-70 Mountain Express lane is prohibited for any vehicle with more than 2 axles or 25 feet or more in length.

CDOT opened eastbound I-70 Mountain Express lanes in 2015 and westbound I-70 Mountain Express lanes in 2021. The law requires lanes to open on the 100 days of the year when highway traffic is at its highest (mostly holidays and weekends).

This 100-day rule was put in place because the lanes were created using an existing roadway rather than a road widening, which made the lanes narrower than a traditional interstate lane.

CDOT and federal regulators decided to only open lanes for a certain number of hours per year. When lanes are closed, they function as a wayside.

For violations of the law, CDOT will impose fines of up to $250.

The law will come into force in August 2022.