Have opinions on potholes in Pueblo? City officials ask for public input ahead of repair ‘blitz” next week
Abby Smith
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The City of Pueblo Department of Public Works is asking for input from city residents for an upcoming pothole filling effort during June 23-27.
A city release issued Tuesday described the upcoming effort as a pothole “blitz.”
The city encourages residents to submit suggestions and requests to the Department of Public Works by emailing pubworks@pueblo.us
“We’re asking residents to let us know where their biggest pain spots are throughout the city,” said Acting Director of Public Works Chuck Roy. “The City has done our street assessment for major arterial roads, and we have long-term plans for paving, sealing, patchwork, and other needs. What we’re seeking is for our residents to let us know about the potholes that affect their everyday drive in their neighborhood that isn’t scheduled for major road maintenance.”
According to the city, these requests do not include parking lots or streets outside of city limits, including Colorado state highways or roads.
The release did not specify what, if any, additional personnel, resources, or materials will be used in the upcoming operation.
However, Andrew Hayes — the city’s former public works director, who recently moved to the city’s economic development office — provided more details late Wednesday morning.
“For the first time, because of wet spring weather that produced more potholes, we’re going to have five crews out there,” he explained. “We’re going to patch potholes with cold mix. It doesn’t last as long as with hot mix, but we want to get those holes filled as soon as possible.”
Hayes added that the city is acquiring hot mix asphalt equipment that will allow crews to patch potholes in warm or cold weather.
“Normally, we’re limited by the availability of hot mix asphalt in the winter, and that hinders our ability to make those higher-quality repairs,” he said.
In a story earlier this spring, KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior reported that Pueblo has a street staff of 25 people, with only two assigned to pothole repairs.
That same report revealed that many residents believe potholes are worse than ever this year, while city officials disagree.
A memorable happening during the first few months of The Road Warrior coverage was when a woman — in the dark, wearing a bathrobe on a windy morning — appeared during a live report to show what she described as $1,300 in pothole damage to her car.
The city requests that citizens provide as much specific information as possible about pothole locations.
For a look at the Roadway Asset Services (RAS) assessment in 2022, go to https://www.pueblo.us/2895/Road-Condition-Assessment-Summary.