Snow takes toll on Durango gas lines

DURANGO, CO. (KREZ) – All the snow that’s hit Durango this winter is busting the resort city’s plowing and clearing budget, but that’s not all its busting.

“We need the snow for business, we are a tourist town, but along with the snow does come a certain amount of headaches,” Chad Redding said.

Headaches Redding knows all about. He is the owner of Cuckoo’s Chicken House located just off of College Drive in Downtown Durango.

On Monday night, a gas line broke on the roof of Redding's building.

“The gas line, with the weight of the snow, kind of bent and cracked and ruptured,” he said. “We weren’t able to finish cooking our meals last night, other than that it’s been just a few hours of interrupted business.”

The other two businesses that share the building were also forced to shut down while the gas line was repaired Tuesday morning.

City of Durango Building Inspector Alvie Moore said this year had been more difficult than most.

“We’re really not out of the woods yet," Moore said.

Two roofs have already collapsed this year under the weight of all the snow from last month’s back-to-back winter storms.

Moore is urging people with flat roofs to assess how much snow is on them.

“If it’s anywhere from 24 inches or above, even 20 inches I'd think about shoveling it, cause it’s real crusty right now and its packing down pretty good,” Moore said.

He recommends checking to make sure your gas lines are protected from the snow and melting ice.

“It may get to heavy on the gas lines and break a connection or valves, with snow starting to slide, ice damns will fall and hit gas lines,” Moore said.

Luckily no one was hurt when the gas line broke on top of Cuckoo’s Chicken House and they were able to get the line repaired to open in time for lunch.