Recent storms create ice, pothole concerns
As the snow melts from last week’s winter storms, it has local officials planning for ice removal and pothole repairs.
Local street and road crews say the melting of a foot or more of snow refreezes at night and accumulates, especially in areas of poor drainage, and poses a threat to pedestrian and driving safety.
On Monday, a front-end loader from the city of Colorado Springs came to the aid of property owner Larry Vasterling to get rid of stubborn ice that kept customers from parking at two businesses.
“I’m out here cleaning up after the snowstorm,” he said. “The city’s chipping in, they’ve got the big equipment, I’ve got the little shovel. I’m out here cleaning up, and they’re dragging it down the street getting rid of it for me.”
El Paso County and the Colorado Department of Transportation have no ice removal plans.
“We wait until it gets slushy before we plow it,” said Jim Reid, the county’s executive director of public services. “If we tried to scrape it, we could damage the road and damage our vehicles.”
Crews also say with a predicted warming trend this week, the cycle of freeze and thaw accelerates pothole development.
Several people contacted KRDO NewsChannel 13 Monday about a crumbling stretch of Pikes Peak Avenue in Colorado Springs that apparently has worsened since snow from last week’s storm melted.
“On my way to work, there were ten folks and six of them were at the gas station at Hancock and Pikes Peak,” Matt Fridley said about a particularly large pothole. “They had flat tires to their rims, damage to their cars, they were all calling tow trucks. The city should at least put warning signs out.”
The city and CDOT will have crews repairing potholes this week. The county is waiting for warmer weather in spring and will test a new repair method that could be more efficient and be used in all kinds of weather.
