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Denver Auto Shop: Potholes Popping Up 'Literally Overnight'

DENVER (CBS4) – Street crews for the City and County of Denver have started filling potholes as the dramatic changes in weather over the past winter has already created a lot of work for staff. It's also kept auto shop customers coming in with cars needing repair.

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"This year the potholes have been significantly worse than in years past," said Tyson Cogley, the shop manager at Downing Street Garage. "Almost every week we're having people coming in with blown out side walls needing to replace entire sets of tires."

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He says popped tires are the issue most customers face when they come to the shop. In some cases, the tires are not only replaced but the wheels are damaged as well. One customer a week is coming in with a pothole related repair.

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"We're seeing these potholes pop up literally overnight," Cogley said. "We're just one shop in Denver and everyone else is that adds up pretty quickly."

The city says it has already filled 10,000 potholes so far in 2019. The total number can reach as high as 100,000 in one year. You can report a pothole by calling 311 or report the location and submit a photo.

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Cogley says drivers cannot always avoid potholes and understands the reaction to brake right before a pothole, but he says once you are going over the pothole you should actually take your foot off the brake to limit the damage to your car.

It's a challenge he struggles with on his commute each day by motorcycle.

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"I take the same drive from work every day and one day they're not there, the next day they're six inch deep potholes," Cogley said. "I am probably not going to ride again until the potholes get in because after I had to swerve to avoid my first one, I found myself paying more attention to the potholes than the road."

 

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