Surprise, surprise

Denver Water closed our road without communicating with anyone in Summit County, the towns of Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Montezuma and the Keystone community. The Denver Water Board elected to put up concrete barricades and close the Dillon Dam Road as of July 9.

Even if the Water Board has a valid concern from the standpoint of national security, shouldn’t the police, emergency and fire officials have been included within this sphere of influence prior to the barricades being put into place closing the dam road to through traffic?

I am sure the Water Board has the safety and security of Summit County in mind, but without consulting with local officials to seek alternative routes before closing this critical traffic artery was folly. How do we proceed when I-70 and Swan Mountain Road are closed due to inclement winter weather? Half of the county will be cut off from the other end — our new hospital would be impossible to reach. Ambulances and fire equipment would be unable to reach some areas without certain delay.

Certainly, no one in present day America can validly protest any action to keep our people and property safe. We have all become subject to minor inconveniences because of this. The minor inconvenience of not having this road open to through traffic can be overcome. A major problem does exist with having it closed to emergency vehicles when time is critical.

Perhaps the Water Board should look into other options for dam security rather than closing the road. The security of the dam not only needs to be addressed from the road side but also from the water side. A dialogue needs to take place between the Denver Water Board and local officials regarding these alternatives.