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Letter to the editor Moonstone and baldy roads a public safety failure in Breckenridge

Jay Johnson
Breckenridge

I’ve pulled 450 cars out of the ditch since 2016. A majority of the cars are on Moonstone and Baldy roads. A majority of those cars are out-of-town visitors. The common denominator is no sand on the roads and no road signage.

This past weekend, there were major accidents on both roads. The 911 response was, “We will let Colorado State Patrol know, and I’ll let county know to send a sand truck.” Patrol response time is generally 30-40 minutes. County sand truck response time is 30 minutes to three hours.

Potential solutions:



  • Road signs to slow speeds to 15 mph from December to May
  • Road signs or flashing lights to indicate a curve ahead or ice warning
  • Flashing lights triggered by road sensors or road cameras
  • Increased law enforcement presence
  • A way for drivers to easily contact county public safety
  • Road surface changes, like center lane rumble strips or mini speed bumps on downhill lanes prior to curves and stop signs

The trees on the south side of Baldy road prevent the sun from ever melting the snow in the winter months, and what does melt turns to ice at night, meaning Baldy needs to be sanded every morning before 7 a.m.

We are lucky: So far there has been millions of dollars worth of car damage but no loss of life (that I’m aware of). Someone needs to do something soon. This I know for sure.




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