Why do we still have potholes?
Like many parts of the country, the Pikes Peak Region experiences “freeze-thaw cycles” and drastic temperature swings on a near daily basis during the winter, and a good portion of fall and spring. All that expanding and contracting of liquid (from rain or snow) in the pavement, combined with the weight and stress of traffic on the roadway, forms potholes.
So far in 2021, our maintenance and operations staff has received 2,683 pothole reports and crews have filled 42,110 potholes (as of June 28, 2021). If that sounds like a lot of potholes, it is! It's also a side benefit of 2C. While 2C funds don’t directly address filling potholes, having dedicated funding for paving frees up funding for other types of preventive roadway maintenance, like filling potholes on streets yet to be repaved.
Of course, filling potholes is a temporary fix used to make roads suitable for travel and safe for residents. However, since this is combined with historic repaving efforts, people who live in Colorado Springs are experiencing a safer, smoother drive citywide.
GoCOS! App lets you report potholes
There are more than 6,300 lane miles of roadway in Colorado Springs. That’s enough to stretch from here to Ancient Olympia, Greece. Crews proactively go out and fill potholes, but with so many roads to cover, we still need your help! Report potholes or other street maintenance needs by:
- Downloading the GoCOS! app on your iPhone or Android device
- Visiting our website
- Calling 385-ROAD