WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — Colorado's Republican Congressional delegation is taking on a new target: CDOT. They're asking the federal government to investigate whether the Colorado Department of Transportation is misusing federal funding. They claim that's leading to more deaths in construction zones.
Republicans are pointing to a crash in August on Interstate 70 near Ward Road in Wheat Ridge when a truck rolled onto a car, killing three people. It happened in a construction zone.
In a new letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert, Doug Lamborn and Greg Lopez ask the federal government to investigate CDOT for misusing funds and disregarding safety guidelines.
The letter states, "There has been a 60% increase in construction zone fatalities" in Colorado from 2022 to 2023.
Read the full letter below:
They allege the concerns they have with CDOT lead to deaths like the one on I-70 and at four other locations around the state this year. Days after the crash near Ward Road, CDOT lowered the speed limit through the construction zone and added more signage to get people's attention.
The semi driver in the Ward Road crash was not charged. Wheat Ridge Police said they had found no probable cause to recommend criminal charges in the case. Black box data from the truck and other data points indicated the driver was going 59 mph in a posted 60 mph zone, police said. They found no signs of impairment or intoxication from the driver.
CDOT maintains all federal and state guidelines were followed and an after-action review found everything was implemented in accordance with approved construction plans. The agency told 9NEWS it shares the concerns about increased fatalities in construction zones. CDOT said they've seen more deadly crashes over the past couple of years as they've seen a period of record amounts of construction around the state.
