CDOT’s second emergency asphalt repair project within a week completed Monday in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- UPDATE -- Monday, March 14
Traffic appeared to be slow but steady around noon, halfway through the emergency asphalt repair project on southbound Powers Boulevard, between Research Parkway and Woodmen Road, on the city's northeast side.
The traffic backup didn't seem too significant, as workers started at 8:30 a.m. and finished well before their 3 p.m. deadline.
Workers scraped away broken, cracked asphalt snd replaced it with new material in six different large areas.
One worker said that the patches should last several months, partly because the crew used hot-mix asphalt instead of the cold-mix version that is commonly applied during colder weather.
CDOT was unavailable for comment Monday to discuss how long the repaired asphalt will last, and if other emergency repair work will be needed as spring approaches.
Several drivers said that they avoided the area entirely on Monday, while others expressed relief at the repairs because they feared damage to their vehicles from the potholes.
PREVIOUS STORY -- Friday, March 11
Drivers who have navigated the overpass construction at the intersection of Powers Boulevard and Research Parkway can expect slower going on Monday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation plans to conduct emergency road maintenance on southbound Powers between Research and Woodmen Road on the city's northeast side.
Repairs are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and should be finished by 3 p.m.
Crews will be patching areas of temporary asphalt applied as part of the overpass project that have worn out from freeze-thaw cycles caused by significant weather changes.
To perform the repairs safely, crews will occasionally close a traffic lane and drivers should expect delays.
CDOT started the $42 million overpass project last summer and expects to finish it this fall; it will feature a diverging diamond interchange for improved traffic flow, repave three miles of Powers and provide improved infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycles, as well as improve access to schools in the area.
Powers is also part of Highway 21 and under CDOT's jurisdiction; the agency plans to repave Powers in that area when the overpass construction ends.
On Tuesday, CDOT finished similar work in the southbound Interstate 25 "Gap" between Castle Rock and Larkspur.
