COLORADO – A joint operation between Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) dropped 56 ‘turkey bombs’ along the Independence Pass highway in an effort to open the road between Twin Lakes and Aspen.
According to CBS Colorado, each turkey bomb, made up of ammonium nitrate and fuel and weighing around 20-30 pounds, was intended to break down snow buildup along the road.
Along I-70, Berthoud Pass, and other roadways in Colorado, CDOT conducts avalanche mitigation remotely. But traffic demand is low and snowfall is high along Independence Pass, and a lack of resources to put up remote mitigation means a helicopter needs to be brought in to get the job done.
“It would be expensive, and it’s a small number of vehicles that would come through this area anyway.” – CDOT winter operations program manager Michael Chapman
The roadway could be reopening within the next few weeks, providing a gorgeous route from Twin Lakes to Aspen until the snow returns.
Related: Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Hilarious Bear Steakout