In Colorado, there’s hiking season, Broncos season, ski season and, now, pothole season.
After 36 hours of rain, potholes popped up throughout metro Denver on Thursday, causing lane closures on some major roads and sending repair crews into action.
One of the worst potholes in the metro area left as many as six vehicles stranded on the side of eastbound Interstate 70 near Quebec Street. Each had struck the center lane’s 4-foot-wide blemish.
The potholes of spring are actually sown in the winter, when freezing subsurface water expands the material below the pavement. Spring thaw forms gaps, causing the pavement to break and buckle. Then spring’s heavy rains wash out what remains, leaving craters.
Colorado Department of Transportation crews Thursday filled 12 large potholes that snarled traffic near Interstate 25 and 84th Avenue; West Sixth Avenue and Kipling Street; U.S. 285 near Kipling; and elsewhere.
“It’s that type of season,” said CDOT spokeswoman Stacey Stegman. “When it rains, this happens — it’s going to be pretty rough until this dries out.”
In addition to helping create the holes, wet weather can make filling them difficult. Crews must use a “cold mix.” The product sets quickly, creating a temporary repair until a permanent patch of asphalt can be applied, said Denver Public Works spokeswoman Christine Downs.
On Thursday, four crews filled about 200 potholes in Denver. In better weather, crews can patch an average of 400 a day, Downs said.
Similar efforts were underway across the Front Range.
“On days like this, we know that they occur, and we try to get out there as quickly as possible,” said Dave Cantu, street operations manager for Westminster, where crews fill an average of 2,249 potholes a year.
Smaller towns across the state are developing new ways to report and repair potholes. For example, Erie launched an iPhone application that allows residents to take a photo of a pothole and send it in, said town spokesman Fred Diehl.
In Loveland, a one-man crew fills potholes year-round with a “spray patcher,” said public works director Keith Reester. The sprayer clears out debris and moisture before filling the hole with asphalt for a permanent fix.
Potholes can form anywhere, but they are likelier to appear on busy roads, in construction areas and on bridges, Stegman said.
The most common repairs for cars that plow into potholes are for bent tire rods and damaged wheel bearings. Many drivers don’t notice any problem until weeks or even months after their encounters with the craters, said Steve Straatmann, shop manager at Strictly Automotive in Denver.
“Your normal pothole hit doesn’t break anything,” Straatmann said. “A lot of people are just glad they didn’t bend anything they can see.”
Repairs can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,500.
Thornton resident Jessica Dean paid $500 to repair her car after she hit a pothole on East 128th Avenue near Holly Street in March. “It’s frustrating, and about a week later, the pothole was filled,” she said.
The impact caused a front tire to blow out and bent its rim. Dean said she may file a claim with the city of Thornton.
In Denver, drivers can file a claim with the city by calling 311 and requesting a packet. In 2010, 19 claims were filed against the city for property damage caused by potholes, said Ann Williams, spokeswoman for the Denver mayor’s office.
Pothole damage is typically covered by the driver’s collision insurance, said Carol Walker, spokeswoman for the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. If the repairs cost more than $1,000, drivers should consider filing a claim.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
Reporting potholes
For potholes on highways or interstates, alert the Colorado State Patrol by calling *CSP from a cellphone, or CDOT at 800-999-4997.
Local agencies
