15 streets are on this year’s repaving list in Manitou Springs

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Town officials are currently accepting contractor bids for repaving fore than a dozen streets this summer.

Officials said that the bidding process closes in two weeks and they will then decide who gets the paving contract.

One of the worst — and longest stretches — are four blocks of Sutherland Road, between Crystal Hills Boulevard and Sutherland Place; it bears the scars of cracking, existing potholes and many prior pothole patches.

Holly Aldridge has lived in the neighborhood for 16 years.

"Yes, I drive that way about 100 times a day, so I will be very excited to drive on a new road," she said.

Another neighbor, Lea Kester, moved into the area last spring.

"This is like the second time -- and I've only been here since May -- that they've had to fill in the potholes," she said. "And the patches didn't always last long. So, I'm glad that we're actually going to have a full paving."

Several other streets in the neighborhood also on the paving list; a few, such as Stover Lane, have large patches which neighbors said reflect recent utility work.

As a small mountain town, paving can be more challenging in Manitou because of the many narrow, steep and hilly streets; some look more like alleys that streets.

It's why Andrew Kledzik, who lives at the top of Shoshone Place, opposes wide-scale street repaving.

"The paved roads are very slick and you don't get the traction, whereas the dirt roads and the gravely stuff give you a lot more traction," he explained. "And there's always a lot of maintenance. Look at the road right here." He pointed to the lower part of Shoshone. "They paved this not too long ago, and it's in terrible condition. Just doesn't last."

Some of the streets on the repaving list are dead-end streets only a block long, while most others are several blocks long.