Road Crews Work Overtime to Remove Snow

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When Cortez residents

were snuggled in beds

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during the snow storms that hit the area

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over President's Day weekend,

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City Of Cortez road crews

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were firing up there snowplows

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at 3 o'clock in the morning

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to start clearing the streets.

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You're watching the Local News Network,

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brought to you by Keesee

Motors and Big O Tires.

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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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A series of storms that fell

over President's Day week,

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dropped more than a foot of

heavy, wet snow in Cortez.

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But the city's road

crews were on the spot,

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clearing roads for traffic,

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emergency equipment, and schools.

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Road maintenance crews worked

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more than 300 hours of overtime

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between Valentine's Day and

the following Wednesday,

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starting their 12-hours shifts

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at 3 in the morning.

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We start with Main Street,

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and once we get Main Street opened up,

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then we start with the rest of the main,

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Mildred, Montezuma,

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and 3rd, then 7th, then Sligo,

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that's the high school and stuff.

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Get the schools open,

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and then we start spreadin' out,

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later in the day, out into the suburbs

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and plow them out, if they need it.

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Pubic Works has 3 snowplows

and 6 pickup trucks

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with plows to clear about 50 miles

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of roadway in the city limits.

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They use about 500 tons of sand

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on average each year,

and plow US Highway 160

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through town, from the intersection

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with Colorado Highway 145 on the East

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to Maple Street on the West.

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They try to be courteous and refrain

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from plowing in your driveway.

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But if they do,

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they're happy to drive

back to clear the way.

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Royce says the snowplow crews start

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early in the morning to avoid traffic,

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but motorists still try to pass them.

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All he asks is that you do it safely,

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and if you don't, you

could pay a traffic fine.

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There actually is a Colorado

law that's against that.

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If I got your license plate's

number and turned you in,

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they'd come and write you a ticket.

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You crowd a snowplow,

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you can get a ticket for that.

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They do it.

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Go around it safe.

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Wait until it's clear

and you can get around,

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because you're messin' with,

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and if they're throwin' sand,

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you're going to get hit with that

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when you try to get by.

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There's signs on 'em,

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"stay back 50 feet," for a reason.

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I understand they want to get by,

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but most of the time we can go

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20, 25 mile an hour,

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and that's the speed in town.

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We don't have it as bad as

the highway, state guys,

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because all of ours is slow.

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People's usually pretty good about,

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probably Main Street's the worst one

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about 'em wantin' to pass you,

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but it's big enough they can.

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Cortez averages 49 inches of snow a year.

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Snowfall to date totals nearly 28 inches.

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When the snow falls again,

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rest assured that Royce and his crews

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will be out with their plows

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in the wee hours of the morning.

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They know they got to do their job.

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I got a good bunch of guys.

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You call 'em and they're here.

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I'm really lucky that way.

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I got a good bunch of guys that

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care about their job and gettin' it done.

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You get tired, but you

don't have a choice.

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You got to keep goin'.

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Thanks for watching this edition

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of the Local News Network.

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Stay up to date on the latest news stories

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or, listen to us on your

favorite podcast app.

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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.

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