Potholes So Plentiful That CDOT Shuts Down I-70 For Repairs
DENVER (CBS4) - This winter has been a confusion of extreme cold and warmth, affecting the roads of the Denver metro area to the point that some need emergency repairs.
The corner of South Broadway and East Mississippi Avenue is plagued with dozens of holes and divots in every tire track, one of the worst in the city.
That section of road has been marked for replacement this summer, but is currently so bad that Denver Public Works will have to fill potholes before ripping the road up completely to start fresh.
Weather problems are causing the road degradation, and is what will shut down a section of I-70 all day on Thursday.
A three mile stretch of orange cones, semi-trucks, and cracked roadway line I-70 -- from East Colfax Avenue to Tower Road, daily patches have gone in and popped back up.
"We're starting to realize it's not providing the safety we need for the safety of drivers in that area," said Emily Wilfong of CDOT.
The last storm, she said, proved small fixes won't work. The organization blames the large amount of freezing and thawing for the disrepair on this stretch of I-70. It will go under construction because of it, causing a full westbound closure on Thursday.
"We'll go in there and remove concrete and repave that roadway with a permanent concrete that will last and stand the test of time," said Wilfong.
CDOT had to act fast because it's the only time contractors can do the work, having been already booked solid on similar repairs for crumbling roads around the state. Construction firms are so busy that they are working around the clock from one job to the next.
"I think a lot of contractors certainly are busy trying to keep up with the demand, it's a demand on materials, it's a demand on time. I think it's a problem we're going to continue to see," said Wilfong.
In many cities, public works departments still haven't seen the worst damage of the season, which is still months away. They're already considering areas in town that have the potential to become new problems soon.
