Driving You Crazy: Why has CDOT not fixed the massive potholes along Wadsworth Boulevard at Coal Mine Avenue?

Lori and David from Littleton writes, “What's driving you crazy? Why has CDOT not fixed the massive potholes on the concrete portion of Wadsworth Blvd south of Bowles? Especially at the Coal Mine and Ken Caryl intersections. They repair it and that breaks down within weeks. Maybe you can look into this issue and find out if there will ever be a plan for a permanent solution."

I combined the questions from Lori and David as they are two of about a dozen people who have written in about the terrible condition of Wadsworth Boulevard. Lori added that she often talks about how dangerous it would be if a motorcycle rider hit one of these holes. Yes, that is possible and could lead to devastating results.

I went down to take a look for myself and I can’t agree more. The condition of the road surface is terrible. I saw chunks of concrete that came loose, leaving numerous gaping holes that could easily lead to wheel damage, tire damage, suspension damage or worse. Hitting a pothole of these sizes at 55 mph — the speed limit on this section of Wadsworth — could result in misalignment, causing the car to pull to one side, and can damage the exhaust system or undercarriage.

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I looked back at Google Street View starting October 2007 at Wadsworth and Coal Mine Avenue. That was about the only time the road surface looked decent. Every passing year, the patches in the concrete kept getting larger and larger.

I am told the awful surface condition is mainly due to aging concrete and poor road substrate — the soil under the pavement. That combined with harsh weather conditions, mainly during the winter freeze-thaw cycle and heavy traffic through the year, has led to the conditions you see every day.

I asked the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) about what they can do to find a long-term solution to the poor road surface. They told me it will take a full rehabilitation of the concrete and replacement and stabilization of the material beneath the pavement. It sounds simple enough but the fix won’t happen soon. I’m told the work is not scheduled to start until 2029 or even 2030. That means three or four more years of deterioration, cracking and major potholes. CDOT told me, a maintenance team will come out to perform some patching and CDOT assures me those operations will continue for the next several years in the interim.

If you are not satisfied with that, you can send a note to CDOT to the comment phone line or webpage. To report a pothole on a Colorado interstate or highway in the Denver metro area (not a city or local road), call 303-759-2368. Highway maintenance requests are handled Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make a report on the CDOT comment webpage, click here.

CDOT told me customer reports are logged and prioritized based on life safety and roadway preservation. The agency said it appreciates the public’s patience as crews balance repairs with other critical safety tasks. If you believe your vehicle sustained damage due to the poor road conditions, not just on Wadsworth at these potholed intersections, you are encouraged to file a claim through the Colorado Office of State Risk Management.

Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.