DENVER — The rain is gone and it left behind a state full of potholes. They've formed quicker than Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) can fill them.
Nearly 500 have been reported in Denver since the last week of April. The city has filled 3,537 potholes so far this year. That’s 430 more than in the same time last year.
Drivers like Chi Chi Andasola feel it.
"They’re never ending it seems like every time you turn a corner around here there’s a new one that’s popped up," said Andasola. "It feels like you’re playing Mario Brothers always trying to hop over another hole to get to your goal."
The rain caused potholes to expand. And the crews that fix them know there will always be more.
"Pothole season has really kicked into gear right now," said Presely Fowler with the CDOT.
Fowler says CDOT crews are out every day that it’s dry, but the list keeps growing faster than they can dump asphalt into the bumps.
"There are so many that we’re at a point where we have to prioritize what can we do right now? What is an immediate need that needs to be fixed?" said Fowler.
The rain and snow have taken a toll on the cars and the roads. CDOT got an additional $25 million this year to help fund permanent repairs of potholes. That’s in addition to the millions they already spent on emergency repairs like after this week’s storm.
There was one year back in 2018 where Denver used money from pot to fix potholes. So many people smoked weed the city had an extra $1.2 million in marijuana taxes they allocated to permanent repairs and repaving streets. Denver hasn’t done that again, instead using the money for things like homelessness and affordable housing.
"They’re really bad. They’re really bad," said Andasola. "It’s one thing to hit a pot hole. Its another thing to hit a pothole that causes you to need an entire rim or entire tire replaced."
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