El Paso County crews behind on road repairs ahead of winter

El Paso County crews say several roads could get worse into the winter, because our wet summer put the county behind on several projects.

“We are well behind where we should be in terms of overall road maintenance. If we have a severe winter with lots of snow and ice, we’ll go into next year further behind,” said Dave Rose, chief public information officer for El Paso County.

The county said a majority of funds for road work had to be used to repair damage caused by the summer rain. Because of limited funds and resources, it’s nearly impossible for them to do any work before winter.

“As soon as we’re not plowing snow, those same truck drivers begin to do patch work. We’re stretched on our resources,” said Rose.

One road already had to close early because of weather. Thursday, the county closed Swan and Shoup roads in Black Forest because of a failing culvert. They planned to close it Nov. 1., but heavy rain caused problems and the early closure. The culvert was installed in 1976 and now pipes and dirt are starting to wash away.

For the next few months, residents in the area will have to take a 3-mile detour.

“It’s going to be a pain, because we have to go down there and make a big square,” said Dianne Brown.

Brown is one of several residents in Black Forest affected by the road closure.

“Especially if it snows, it’ll be a lot harder because you have to go around,” said Brown.

The county hopes to have the road back open by July, but it could take longer. They said their priority is safety and will not have roads open to the public that are dangerous.

“The number one priority of course is public safety, we want to make sure we have the roads open and can drive and go to work,” said Rose.