Explaining those pesky pavement bumps on highways in the Colorado Springs area
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Potholes aren't the only road defect that can jolt drivers as they travel through the area; you may have noticed a line of bumps across some sections of highway pavement.
The bumps are fairly common along Interstate 25, US 24 and Powers Boulevard (Highway 21).
They're not damaging to your vehicle as deep potholes can be, but they cause an irritating jolt when you don't expect them.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently explained to KRDO 13's The Road Warrior what causes the bumps and how to remove them.
According to CDOT spokesperson Amber Shipley, the bumps develop where softer asphalt pavement meets harder concrete pavement.
"The wear-and-tear of vehicles slowing down and stopping there, pushes the asphalt against the concrete and forms a bump across the lanes that can be several inches high," she explained.
Shipley said that crews remove the bumps by shaving them off -- which is fairly easy but presents another challenge.
"That takes out some of that depth of the asphalt, which provides a softer surface for traffic," she said. "So, you might see some sinking (there). It's not an ideal long-term solution but it's the most affordable solution to (avoid) tearing up a whole road."
Shipley detailed the long-term response that normally is applied on newer roads to protect the construction investment.
"For the 15 feet prior to a concrete pavement surface, (crews) pour a concrete pad under the asphalt mix. Eight inches is the concrete, and then it comes up to a two-inch surface of asphalt as it meets there, so that it doesn't cause quite the bump."
CDOT recently applied that treatment after a repaving of I-25 at the Santa Fe Avenue ramps in Fountain, after a significant bump line developed there.
As much as drivers would love perfectly smooth pavement, Shipley said that the bumps are a natural development in post-highway construction.
Drivers can help CDOT by reporting locations of these bumps; to do that, visit: https://www.codot.gov/topcontent/contact-cdot.
