The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office has begun inspecting commercial trucks traveling through the area in an effort to improve overall safety on the roads.
A deputy with a Class 1 certification to inspect commercial vehicles stopped trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds Thursday near Colorado Highway 151 and U.S. Highway 160, near the Chimney Rock turnoff between Bayfield and Pagosa Springs.
Each inspection takes 35 to 40 minutes to complete. The deputy checks nearly every aspect of the vehicle, including brake lines and trailer conditions. If the vehicle passes inspection, it receives a sticker of approval that is good for about three months and is recognized nationally, said Archuleta County Undersheriff Rich Valdez.
If the deputy finds flaws, he can issue a citation, which requires the defect to be fixed.
The sheriff’s office has been inspecting trucks for about three months. The inspections will be done about once a month at random locations throughout Archuleta County, Valdez said.
“It just depends on when (the deputy) is available to do it,” Valdez said.
Archuleta County has a significant number of trucks passing through, many heading over Wolf Creek Pass with an elevation of 10,857 feet, Valdez said.
“We have a lot of vehicles coming over the pass, and we want to make sure they get over safe, especially commercial vehicles,” he said.
shane@durangoherald.com
