Bypass won’t keep hazardous materials off Main

Dear Editor:

I think it is time that we talk about the truck bypass and what we were told that it will do and how we are to pay for it.

First, the City of Delta will own and have to do all the upkeep on said bypass.

You see, the State of Colorado or as we know it as CDOT, does not have any vested interest in the bypass. We all know what that will look like in a few years. All we have to do is drive down any of the city streets. No I do not mean Main Street, you see that street belongs to the State of Colorado and CDOT takes care of their streets.

Second, paying for the bypass was made easy for us. Some 800 voters out of 1,400 okayed the sale of bonds to help pay for it, oh and yes we did get a grant or two to help pay for the bypass. But then I wonder, who is going to pay off those grants and loans!

Third, to use the bypass or not to use the bypass? I have talked to many truck drivers and most say the same thing: If you stay in the far left lane, and do a little over the 30 mph, say do 33 mph then you as a truck driver can drive through town without stopping. At the most, you may get stopped at 6th Street. Now if the trucks do use the bypass then they will have to stop at the south side of town where there will be a signal light by the Stockyard Restaurant. This will be needed so the trucks and cars going south on 50 can merge without any problems.

Fourth, I have talked with CDOT personnel on the subject of the bypass and it being for hazard material carrying trucks, and what was said was that hazmat trucks DO NOT have to take the bypass. The bypass is there to speed up the trucks going through town, but if they have to stop at the south end of town then how much time will they save?

The City of Delta, if they really want to keep the hazmat trucks off of downtown streets, will have to make an ordinance and post it on both ends of town stating that hazmat trucks are not allowed through town and must use the bypass. My thoughts are what will people who drive through Delta going to say.

(Boy! this town is looking after their people or boy! are they trying to run everybody out of town!) That I will leave up to you. You see I have mixed thoughts overall.

First, if by having the bypass will save one life by having the hazmat trucks go around Delta, then I am for it. But what IF?

Second, we have never had a death resulting in a hazmat spill through town as of yet.

In addition, the bypass was to get help to North Delta faster and to save lives because of traffic. No one has ever died because they could not get the help in time.

I leave this for you to ponder over when you think of the bypass.

Frank Tranchina

Delta

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