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~- - - • iii iiiiiiiiiiiiiii • Douglas Mountain Residents' 32360 Robinson Hill Road • Golden, CO November 6, 2001 Mr. Alan Sorenson Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Mr. Sorenson Association 80403 RECEIVED NOV 14 2001 Dlvlalon of Minerals and GeolagY We are writing to express our concern regazding a perilous situation that has developed in Clear Creek Canyon both in Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties, Colorado. The residents in this area have experienced an exponential increase in gravel truck and tour bus traffic on U.S. Highway 6 in the Canyon. Expansion of the Albert Frei & Sons Quarry over the past decade has resulted in hundreds of daily gravel truck-trips on U.S. 6, daytime and nighttime. Gambling in the Cities of Black Hawk and Central has also resulted in a massive increase in traffic volume on U.S. 6. Unfortunately, the highway safety issues associated with these changes have not been adequately addressed. Many more people have perished in accidents and this trend continues unchecked. There are several accidents each week in the Canyon, many involving gravel trucks associated with the Frei Quarry. There are an estimate 45 gravel trucks per hour using U.S highway 6 in Cleaz Creek Canyon alone, and this doesn't include I-70. Fully loaded gravel wcks routinely lose control and plunge into Cleaz Creek, polluting the water supply of the City of Golden and other downstream water users. The guardrail near Tunnel 1 has been replaced several times this yeaz from truck accidents. Gravel trucks are routinely observed exceeding the speed limit; particularly when empty driving up the Canyon. More importantly, several truckers and others have died in Quarry-related traffic accidents in this narrow mountain canyon this yeaz. We are told that the State Highway Patrol has difficulties regulating traffic in this area because of communication problems. Indeed, they have been largely ineffective in Clear Creek Canyon when considering the status quo and the accident statistics. We are also told that the Environmental Impact Statement CDOT is conducting for the Gaming Area Access will not address these tragic safety issues in Clear Creek Canyon. In fact, if a new tunnel were constructed for Black Hawk, the production at Frei Quarry (and related truck traffic) would increase further through processing of [he tunnel rock. Gravel trucks aze staging on U.S. 6 at night with no lighting on the highway. Gravel trucks have been observed crossing U.S. 6 (perpendicular to both lanes) at night creating an extremely dangerous condition. Eastbound traffic exits I-70 at a high rate of speed in this area and visibility on U.S. 6 is limited. In this narrow canyon there is no tangent available for safe ingress or egress from U.S. 6.