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Increased safety urged for dangerous Steamboat-Craig stretch of U.S. Highway 40

Traffic piles up after a crash on U.S. Highway 40 west of Milner in April 2024.
John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today

Sen. Dylan Roberts and Rep. Meghan Lukens have sent a letter to the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol urging action to improve safety on U.S. Highway 40 between Steamboat Springs and Craig, according to a news release.

The letter, which was also sent to Gov. Jared Polis, the Routt and Moffat County commissioners, the cities of Steamboat Springs and Craig and the town of Hayden, addressed the high number of U.S. 40 crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities and offered support for existing safety efforts.

“We are grateful that everyone involved, including you and your employees, know this situation is dire and needs to be addressed — and we are optimistic about all the efforts currently underway to address the problem,” said the letter. “We write this letter at the urging of our constituents and to offer support and encouragement for what is being done.”



According to the State Patrol Troop 4B Capt. Ryan Parker, State Patrol responded to over 400 crashes on U.S. Highway 40 between Steamboat Springs and Craig in the last four years.

According to Parker, leading causes of crashes between Steamboat and Craig include animal-related accidents, speeding, inattentive driving, impaired driving and lane violations.



Parker added that another major contributing factor is the large number of commuters who drive between Steamboat and Craig daily.

In 2024, about 5,700 commuters drove on U.S. 40 in a day, nearly 600 more than three years ago. 

U.S. 40 in Routt and Moffat counties saw a total of four fatal crashes, resulting in six fatalities in 2024, according to CSP’s Vehicular Crimes Analyst Unit’s Crash and Contact Map.

The letter stated that this rate is “abnormally high” and has taken a “toll on the communities in heartache” as well as caused hours of delays for commuters.

“My deepest sympathies go out to the families who have lost loved ones and to everyone who has been impacted by accidents on U.S. 40. The safety situation on U.S. 40 demands our immediate attention,” said Lukens in a statement.

Roberts and Lukens support efforts such as constructing passing lanes, increasing law enforcement presence, the Mountain Passenger Rail project, the Safe Crossings Project at Steamboat II and Heritage Park, rockfall mitigation and extending the Yampa River Core Trail.

The letter added that Roberts and Lukens were pleased to see funding approved to study avalanche mitigation and safety needs on Berthoud Pass, south of Winter Park on U.S. 40, and asked that the same attention and funding be given to U.S. 40 from Denver through Steamboat and Craig.

Roberts and Lukens also encouraged CDOT and State Patrol to urgently “bolster” efforts.

“Whether it is relocating troopers to the corridor to increase speeding enforcement, employing remote and autonomous speeding controls, expediting construction timelines, pursuing new federal grant opportunities, or anything else, any extra attention to this corridor could save lives — it is worth it,” said the letter.

The letter concluded by Roberts and Lukens offering assistance in developing legislation that further improves Colorado road safety.

“The safety of drivers and passengers that commute along U.S. 40 could not be more important and we must do more to make that stretch of road safer,” Roberts said. “Rep. Lukens and I are committed to working collaboratively with the state to ensure necessary improvements are made for the wellbeing of everyone on the road … Today we are offering our support to ongoing efforts and urge increased attention and focus so that the road can be made safer as soon as possible.”


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