Placarded Propane Load at the Eisenhower Tunnel
You are westbound on I-70 at Idaho Springs with 8,000 lb of propane (UN1978, Class 2.1) in a placarded bobtail. Your destination is Silverthorne. The Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel is ahead, and signs prohibit hazardous materials. Loveland Pass (US-6) is the signed alternate, but it is snowing, and CDOT reports chain restrictions and a crash. You have 4 hours of drive time left and a delivery window in 90 minutes. After the pass, you must cross a marked railroad crossing at a facility entrance. The truck has good tires and chains on board. Dispatch suggests trying the tunnel because the pass looks slow.
1. What route do you take, and why? Can you use the tunnel?
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No. The Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel prohibits hazardous materials, and a placarded 8,000-pound propane load is exactly the kind of load covered. The signed alternate is US-6 over Loveland Pass. I would check CDOT's current chain and closure status before starting up. If Loveland Pass is open and my truck is properly chained, I take US-6. I would not enter the tunnel just because the pass is slow. The delivery window does not override the tunnel restriction. If the pass is closed, I stop at a safe place in Idaho Springs or Georgetown and wait, then call dispatch and the customer. I do not pick an unsigned mountain pass or a neighborhood shortcut.
2. What if Loveland Pass is closed by the crash? What are your options?
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If US-6 is closed, I cannot use the tunnel. I have three safe options: wait for the pass to reopen, return east and use a longer designated hazmat route after checking with CDOT, or ask dispatch to reschedule. I would not drive around a closure barricade or take an undesignated route through a town. I would park in a legal spot, set the brakes, and keep the placards visible. I would call CDOT or the Colorado State Patrol for the expected reopening and tell the customer the load is delayed. If the weather is worsening, waiting is safer than a mountain pass with chain restrictions.
3. What is the required procedure at the railroad crossing?
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Because the load is placarded hazardous material, I must stop at the crossing. Stop within 50 feet of the nearest rail but not less than 15 feet from it. Turn off the radio and any fan, open the window, and look and listen both ways. Make sure there is room to clear the crossing completely on the far side. Cross without shifting gears, and do not stop on the tracks. If a train is coming or the crossing signals are active, wait. If the crossing is blocked or the gates are down, do not go around them. After crossing, check the mirrors and continue.