6 days ago
Pothole problems persist on I-70 near Deer Trail
DEER TRAIL, Colo. (KDVR) — A woman from Deer Trail is pleading with the state to fix potholes on Interstate 70 after she said her tires have been shredded three times due to the crumbling roadway.
'How many people have to get injured or die because the roads are not getting fixed? Until somebody takes us seriously?' Lucile Palmer said.
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Palmer said potholes have been a major issue on her daily commute to Denver, where she works as an airport electrician, ever since she moved to Deer Trail in 2021.
According to Palmer, she wrecked the tires and wheels on her vehicle in 2023, the tires on a different vehicle in 2024 and now needs to replace the tires and wheels on a third vehicle after hitting a pothole a few days ago.
'I hit a chunk of concrete that was at least a foot long. It was huge,' she said. 'Going the speed limit. I wasn't in a rush. I left early that morning, actually, and I just didn't have enough time to swerve over.'
She has paid out thousands of dollars to repair each of the vehicles.
'The hole that's in…the rear driver wheel is so massive. Like it just split open,' Palmer said.
The problem spot is on a bridge in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the Peoria Road exit, about a mile west of Deer Trail. It's the same area where several other drivers reported damage to their vehicles back in February from a pothole so deep, the rebar was exposed.
'They did a whole bunch of patchwork where you got these black dots all over, and it's usually typically on the bridges, so they're like speckled, but then eventually they're just as bad. They end up getting soft and then they wash out,' Palmer said.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, its road crews are constantly monitoring road conditions for damage. Problem spots are quickly patched with a material that is meant to be temporary until a permanent repair can be made.
'We have to keep up with these cars and maintenance, and we're not getting anything in return. Like, it seems like our tax dollars are not going toward anything,' Palmer said.
A spokesperson also said recent rain and increased traffic may have damaged recently patched potholes or created new ones.
Permanent repairs are scheduled to begin on I-70 near Deer Trail in the fall.
However, Palmer said she believes if the potholes were closer to the metro area, they would have already been fixed.
'It's really frustrating. I'm really disappointed. I'm really disappointed in Arapahoe County, and I'm really disappointed in my state because I'm a native and I love this state, but, like, we get treated so terribly. It's not fair,' she said.
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Potholes can be reported to CDOT by calling their regional customer service lines. Drivers can also file a claim to be reimbursed for the costs to repair a vehicle damaged by potholes, although Palmer said her first two claims were unsuccessful.
'I get the runaround, and really, they say it's not something that they can fix,' she said. 'They didn't want to help me with my Miata. They didn't want to help me with my Berreta. So I just don't see the point.'
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