Pueblo’s paving season behind schedule due to flurry of utility projects
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Steel City’s warmer climate allows it to start and end its street repaving sooner and later than most southern Colorado cities.
However, while paving typically begins in mid-spring, it has not yet occurred due to various factors beyond the control of the Public Works Department.
Those factors include two scheduled water main replacements by the Pueblo Board of Water Works, an emergency wastewater line repair, an emergency stormwater line repair, and the removal of 41 trees that have damaged concrete along Saratoga and Lexington roads.
“I haven’t had it where everything pushed,” said Chuck Roy, acting public works director. “I’ve been here just over four and a half years now, and we haven’t had it where everything pushed. We’ve had one or two (in the past) that have had to move because of this.”
Due to the paving delay, crews are more at the mercy of the schedules of the two local asphalt suppliers, who are already busy with other projects.
The city also had to wait for permits from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to perform paving that intersects Interstate 25, and state highways 47 and 50.
Roy said that most of the utility projects should be finished by the end of the month.
The first street on the repaving list is Monument Avenue between 5th and 10th streets, in front of the Risley School of Exploration and Park View Elementary School.
That’s where one of the water mains was replaced, but the final block in front of Park View wasn’t finished in time for school to resume, so it will have to be completed later — which means paving will be delayed on that block.
One benefit of the delay is that the city and the Board of Water Works will split the cost of paving on Monument and on Lehigh Avenue between Northern Avenue and Pueblo Boulevard.
A neighbor, Jo Ann Gutierrez, is unhappy that the Monument project detoured neighborhood traffic through a bumpy alley full of potholes.
“It was closed down for 2-1/2 months,” she explained. “So, you had to come down this side, and this is what you have to deal with. It’s just embarrassing. It’s hurtful to your cars. It cost me $1,500 to fix my muffler.”
Meanwhile, at the other water main project on Lehigh, neighbor Marc Anzlocar, is more sympathetic.
“Yes, traffic is stopped, roads are closed, and it takes time for the road to get repaired,” he said. “But you know, in the long run, it has to be done.”
Roy said that crews still should be able to finish all of the paving before the end of the season — which will depend on when winter weather arrives.
“Last year, the asphalt plants were open until the first week of December,” Roy said.
Other streets on the city’s paving list this year include Bonforte Boulevard and 6th Street; Elizabeth Street, where the emergency utility repairs were made, will be repaved next year.