CDOT explains how it maintains rough conditions on Fountain Expressway/Boulevard in Colorado Springs until repaving in 2028
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Drivers along the three-mile stretch of Fountain Boulevard and Expressway, between The Circle Drive bridge and Powers Boulevard, may have noticed a glossy black material filling many potholes and cracks in the pavement.
The substance is a liquid used by maintenance crews with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to supplement the asphalt used to patch potholes and cracks.
“That’s an emulsified liquid asphalt that has aggregate in it,” said Eric Meyers, a CDOT maintenance supervisor. “We use that in the very shallow potholes. It seems to stick longer and stay in place longer than a hot mix, due to the shallowness of the pothole. We’ve had great success with that. We’ve used it quite a few times over the years.”
He added that the liquid cures quickly, reducing the time required to apply it and lessening the associated traffic impacts.
“It’s so durable that it can outlast the concrete around it,” Meyers said.
Still, the frequency of potholes and cracks makes drivers wonder how the pavement will hold up until its scheduled repaving in 2028; the road is also the US 24 loop through the city, which generates frequent heavy truck traffic.
Another strategy used by CDOT is maintenance paving, when crews pave over part of a lane that has numerous potholes in a concentrated area.
Such paving occurred last year on the east end of westbound Fountain, between Powers and Murray boulevards.
Meyers said that paving is done without the milling or removal of the existing pavement.
“It saves time, it’s a more efficient use of resources, and it’s a temporary treatment until we can come back later and do a full repaving,” he explained.
CDOT asks drivers to report any potholes they see.
“We don’t know where every pothole is, but once we get a report, we’ll respond as quickly as we can,” Meyers said.
He added that CDOT has nearly 50 full-time maintenance workers in El Paso County alone.