SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)– Crews working on the Colorado Department of Transportation’s avalanche mitigation team are preparing to ramp up their workload as more snow falls in Colorado’s mountains. This year they’re following several new safety procedures following a serious accident last winter.
“This season is all new, taking into consideration the issues from the accident from last year, we have a whole bunch of new safety procedures,” said CDOT Equipment Manager Jack Stieber.
It was last March when an avalauncher malfunctioned, injuring one worker and an avalanche forecaster.
(credit: CBS)
CDOT said they’ll be using more of the howitzer this season, a heavy piece of artillery used to fire explosives. It’s found another use, firing explosives as part of avalanche control. That’s earned it a new name, the “Avalauncher.”
“We looked at other states and we have a very good working agreement with the Colorado School of Mines and their explosives program,” said Stieber. “We did a bunch of testing on blast shields and what would hold up and what wouldn’t hold up.”
The blast shield will be handed out to avalanche crews along with new Kevlar helmets. The crew will also move away from the blast devices.
“Avalauncher” (credit: CBS)
“We were 15 feet, the gunner was 15 feet away from the gun and the gunners were probably 30 feet. Now we’re going to be more than 100 feet and 600 feet,” said Stieber.
As the crews move further away, they’ll be using a relic from World War II.
“This gun was manufactured in 1944,” said Stieber. “The United States Army requires us to get certified by a third party instructor to shoot or load. So we had an instructor come in from Alaska this year.”
The howitzer can be fired at an avalanche path four miles away with remarkable accuracy. CDOT has leased a third howitzer this year.
“They’re all the United States Army’s. They’re a very effective tool for avalanche control,” said Stieber.
There has been some avalanche mitigation this year on Wolf Creek Pass and around the Eisenhower Tunnel and Loveland Pass. With more snow in the forecast, the CDOT crews plan for at least four busy months.
