Viewers sound off on pothole problems, road quality in Pueblo West
Scott Harrison
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — In the past few weeks, KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior has heard from several viewers unhappy about what they describe as “terrible” roads long overdue for repairs.
The complaints seem to focus on the stretch of Purcell Boulevard, south of US 50, and on connecting neighborhood streets.
Neighbors said that there are too many potholes to count — or even avoid.
They also noted that it takes a long time for crews to fill the potholes, and the patches often don’t last very long.
One resident reported that he has had potholes on his street, Maher Drive, for the past year.
“I think the metro did a pretty good job,” said resident Tom Pineda. “I thought they were on it. Once they went over to the county, it seemed like it took forever to get things done.”
But some pothole issues also are prevalent on Purcell, north of US 50, on Sequoya Drive, where, instead of individual potholes, large sections of the pothole-infested road have been repaved.
Several residents said that they have complained to the Pueblo West Metro District, without realizing that, as of January 2024, Pueblo County has assumed responsibility for road maintenance in that community.
“It angers me, because no matter where you go in Pueblo West — and I go quite a few places out there — you deal with potholes,” said resident Mayme Thayer. “Some of them are just huge, some of them are smaller, but you can’t get around them because there’s another pothole in your path.”
There are mixed feelings from residents about whether road maintenance is any better or worse since the switchover.
The Road Warrior has received no response to requests for information about road conditions in Pueblo West.
A certain irony to the situation exists in that the south end of Purcell passes the west end of the new Medal of Honor Boulevard, between Pueblo Boulevard and Joe Martinez Boulevard.
The new road represents the first direct connection between Pueblo and Pueblo West, but many Pueblo West residents likely wish that some of the new asphalt could be used to fill potholes or repave roads.
As KRDO 13 reported in 2022, there have been past discussions in Pueblo West about the possibility of raising taxes or creating fees to fund road and drainage repairs, but it’s unclear whether such a tax or fee has widespread support.