A year ago, Estes saw a major snowfall the night before Thanksgiving. While we are not likely to see much if any of the white stuff until Saturday — and then just a 40% chance with maybe 2″ to 3″ – the municipal snowplow gang will be ready to tackle the Town’s 225 residential streets, starting with the emergency routes. That means plowing approximately 59 miles of streets, 12.5 miles of sidewalks, 12 miles of trails, and 15 parking lots.
- Emergency routes begin with access to hospitals and schools and all routes critical for emergency responders, including MacGregor Avenue, Big Horn Drive, Riverside Drive, Peak View Drive, Scott Avenue, Dry Gulch Road, and any other streets that must remain accessible for police or fire emergencies.
- Roadway plowing typically begins between 3 and 5 a.m. and generally stops running by 3:30 p.m.
- Town-maintained trails and sidewalks are typically plowed between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Sidewalk snow removal and ice management are the responsibility of the property owner in both residential and commercial areas.
- Owners are responsible for private driveways and sidewalks. Property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of their homes or businesses within 24 hours after the snowfall stops. This includes new sidewalks recently constructed during the Downtown Estes Loop project.
- By law, snow removed from any sidewalk or driveway may not be deposited into the roadway.
- Residents are responsible for removing snow pushed by the snowplows from public roads and trails onto private driveways and sidewalks.
- Click here for more information on property owners’ responsibilities.
State-managed roadways are plowed by the Colorado Department of Transportation (orange plows):
- U.S. 34, which includes Big Thompson Avenue, Wonderview Avenue, and Fall River Road.
- U.S. 36, which includes North Saint Vrain Avenue, East Elkhorn Avenue, and Moraine Avenue.
- CO 7 (Highway 7) which includes South Saint Vrain Avenue.
County-managed roads are plowed by the Larimer County Road and Bridge Department (yellow trucks)
- CR 43 (Devil’s Gulch Road).
- Unincorporated portions of shared roadways, including MacGregor Avenue, Fish Creek Road, Dry Gulch Road (CR 63), and Marys Lake Road.
- CO 66, including Tunnel Road (by agreement with CDOT).