Viewers share pothole confusion, frustration in Colorado Springs area

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials in our local governments and departments encourage us to report potholes that we see, as soon as possible — because the sooner we do, the sooner they can be prioritized and filled.

"They can't repair them if they don't know about them," said Sam Sprott, of Colorado Springs, who contacted KRDO 13's The Road Warrior this week.

However, he confessed to some uncertainty recently regarding a large pothole at the interchange of US 24 and Peterson Road; it's at the entrance to the westbound on-ramp to 24, which presumably in the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) jurisdiction.

But some drivers may think it's in El Paso County's jurisdiction, or is the responsibility of Colorado Springs — the location is slightly east of the city limits — and that confusion may have kept people from reporting it.

"About three months ago, I hit that pothole," Sprott said. "Fortunately, I was driving slow and didn't damage my ca.r And since it was there, I was under the impression that someone may have (already) reported it. But last Sunday, I purposed in my heart that I would call and try to find out the proper way to get it reported."

But some people aren't good at searching online for public works departments or phone numbers.

"I was only able to reach the Pueblo Public Works Department," he said. "But now that I have a better ideal of whom to contact, I'll try again. I just hope someone comes out to fix it soon, before someone actually hits it at a high rate of speed. And that's going to definitely cause some type of alignment problem and might throw the vehicle out of alignment."

The Road Warrior also heard from Michele McCarty about potholes in the southbound lanes of Powers Boulevard, just north of the Fountain Boulevard intersection — which would be in CDOT's jurisdiction.

"(It) made a horrible sound to my Toy(ota) truck as I was driving," she wrote in an email. "I couldn’t see it until I was right up on it. It really needs to be addressed ASAP."

The pothole is actually a series of potholes along a seam where asphalt and concrete pavement meet; such junctions are where bumps can form (a situation The Road Warrior reported on last July) and the potholes appear to be a result of bumps that have collapsed and deteriorated under the weight of constant traffic.

Those potholes may be only part of the problem, as the asphalt in that area has many cracks, and a lot of wear and tear; a CDOT spokesperson said that she would check to see if the agency is aware of the potholes at both locations.

The Road Warrior also heard from viewers about a fairly common issue — potholes on privately-owned roads — and it was on display north of the intersection of Chelton Road and Delta Drive, in east Colorado Springs.

Interestingly, maps show that Delta north of the intersection is still a city street; however, a city spokesman said that it is actually a private service road on which the city has no repair responsibility.

The potholes there are numerous and deep; drivers describe it as an obstacle course, or like driving through moon craters.

Making matters worse is the steady stream of traffic by people who use the road as a convenient shortcut to a Walmart, a coffee shop and other businesses in the area.

Some drivers said that the potholes have existed for years and continue to worsen.

Patti Smothers explained why she hasn't reported the potholes to the property owner.

"I figured someone would probably have already contacted (The Road Warrior)," she said. "And I was happy to see you here, because this is bad. It needs to be totally done. Not even just filled. They need to do the whole road."

But as The Road Warrior has reported previously, finding private property owners can be difficult because they often have offices in other cities or states and rarely respond to media inquiries or citizen complaints.

A parcel search on the El Paso County Assessor's website indicates that the property is owned by Nancy Express Wash - Chelton, but no contact information is available.

However, The Road Warrior has learned two things: Some private property owners have eventually filled their potholes after his report aired; and some local departments have patched potholes after similar reports.