El Paso County responds to gravel road complaint on Davis Road near Peyton
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Small rocks are among the materials contained in the gravel mix applied to unpaved rural roads, but one resident said that some of the rocks are larger than they should be and are damaging vehicles and windshields.
The resident recently contacted KRDO13's The Road Warrior about her concern; she said that she has reported her concern to county officials but is frustrated that nothing has been done.
She also sent a photo to The Road Warrior, in which she measured the rocks to emphasize her point.
As a result, she said that she plans to sell her home this spring and move elsewhere.
Her complaint is the only one KRDO13 has received on the matter, so The Road Warrior asked Jack Ladley, the county's deputy public works director, for a response.
"This is the first time I've heard anybody complain about large-size rock," he said. "I have heard complaints about roads getting too muddy, and that's something that we're currently taking a look at to make sure that our vendor is providing us the specification that we've asked for."
Ladley explained that crews use large vehicles called graders to smooth out rough spots on gravel roads and apply fresh gravel where and when needed.
"So, what you'd want is a good mixture of aggregates, rock, fine materials that help bind that rock in," he said. "You get too much one way or the other, and it can be problematic. The roads can get too muddy. They style of rock we use is always the same."
Ladley said that crews rely on moisture, however, to soften the roads and make it easier for crews to fill in ruts and potholes, as well as smooth out the "washboard" effect that makes roads extremely bumpy.
Half of the county's road network is gravel roads, according to officials.
"We get requests to turn gravel roads into paved roads," Ladley said. "That's far too expensive. It would cost millions of dollars. So, it's important that we maintain the existing gravel roads."
The resident who contacted The Road Warrior declined to be interviewed on the matter.
After seeing The Road Warrior's reports during Monday's Good Morning Colorado, another neighbor responded by taking the county's side.
"The problem is not the gravel mix, the problem is people are driving too fast on them," the neighbor exclaimed. "I have seen people going 60mph on them. Then they complain about the ruts! If they slow down, there is no problem with gravel roads. (It's) not the gravel mix causing the problem, it is the drivers! Slow down! It is a country road, not the interstate!"
Another neighbor, Dennis Poole, said that he prefers Davis Road farther south and east of the Terri Lee Drive intersection because it is less rocky and more sandy.
"Now, the county does come out here and they grade this, I'd say probably once a month," he said of the rockier section of Davis. "So, the county is trying to do what they can to keep the roads smooth and good."
County officials ask residents with questions or concerns to contact public works directly. To do so, click here: https://publicworks.elpasoco.com/.
