Colorado Highway 82 (Loveland, Aspen: safe, cars, installing)

[D-Towner]

I was looking at Google Street View footage of Colorado Highway 82 around Independence Pass and there doesn't appear to be a guardrail to protect cars from sliding off the mountain in case of an emergency. I found that to be very weird and scary.

[Neditate]

It's not "weird". Some people think it is scary.
If you think so, you best not ever drive Red Mountain Pass/Million Dollar Highway. You won't like Loveland Pass, Trail Ridge Road or Pikes Peak road either.

Here is an explanation for why there are not many guardrails on Trail Ridge Road:
there are very few accidents occurring where guardrail or stone masonry wall would result in less injuries and property damage for the motorists. The crashes involving motorcycles would likely result in worse injuries if a barrier were in place. Outside of the alpine areas, vehicles that run off the roadway are generally stopped a short distance from the roadway by trees and due to the low speeds there are relatively minor injuries. If a barrier on this curvy road had redirected these vehicles, it is quite likely they would go across the other lane of traffic and possibly have a more serious accident or involve an innocent bystander in the crash.

With barriers on both sides of the road, they may ricochet back and forth across the lanes before coming to a stop. In the alpine section where the need appears greatest because of the sheer distance down the steep slopes, there are very few run-off-road accidents. This may be due in part to the extra care that drivers take due to the fear instilled by the sight of these slopes.
Second, the views from the roadway would be partially blocked by the barrier. Considering that the main purpose of this roadway is to provide tourists with the amazing vistas of this area, blocking views would take away from the very purpose of this road. This is not to say that blocking a view is more important than providing a safe roadway, but that installing barrier along both sides of the entire length of this roadway would not be worth the trade-off.

[jim9251]

We tell folks there used to be guardrails but the tourists keep knocking them down when they hurtle over the edge. Tired of replacing them.


Happy motoring!

[bluescreen73]

There's also a spot on the west approach where the road is roughly a single lane wide. I've only been to the summit from the east and have never continued into Aspen so I've never seen it personally.

[SkyDog77]

That's nothing. Check out 550.