Dozens of drivers crashed this weekend in Colorado Springs on an icy I-25 overpass with a built-in road de-icer. I-25 at South Nevada/Tejon has an automatic de-icing system meant to stay ahead of winter weather. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation that system failed Saturday morning, when a major pileup closed the interstate, reports KRDO Channel 13 News.

“The system showed that it had discharged 10 times starting fairly early in the morning,” said CDOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor Gary Heller. “The sensor evaluates the roadway temperature, whether there’s moisture on it and then whether we’re starting to lose friction on the road because of ice. It will continue to fire until it no longer senses the loss of friction on there.”

While the computer system thought the 1,000-foot bridge was being de-iced, one of the 34 de-icer nozzle valves remained open, keeping the other valves from putting out magnesium chloride.

“The computer thought it was doing what it was supposed to be doing.”

Go to KRDO.com Channel 13 News for the entire article.