PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — The City of Pueblo has a new weapon in its fight against potholes that officials say will be a game changer for year-round road repairs.
The new machine allows city crews to make permanent pothole repairs during cold weather months when they previously could only apply temporary fixes.
"It's made a huge difference in the ability of our crews to make permanent repairs in the cold season when they couldn't before," said Andrew Hayes with the city.
The impact of poor road conditions is evident to local business owners like Luis Gonzalez, who owns a car detailing shop, Detail It, off 29th Street in Pueblo.
"This whole street you can feel it just coming down especially like on the lights right there it's like bom bom bom bumpy bumpy," said Gonzalez. "It's pretty bad, you know. I even have customers stop by my shop. They think I'm a tire shop."
Gonzalez said drivers constantly come to his business asking if he can fix their tires after hitting potholes. He knows the problem firsthand after damaging his own vehicle.
"I have a lower car and the pothole literally just popped my tire and my rim bent on the side, you know, that's gonna cost me, cost me like $300 to get the rim fixed and I get a new tire on it, so it gets pretty expensive when you run into these situations," said Gonzalez.
The city identified 29th Street, as a priority for repairs using the new equipment.
"Twenty-ninth Street is one we wanna get done here soon," said Hayes.
Traditional winter pothole repairs use cold mix, which provides only temporary solutions.
"That cold mix we just warm up and we place into holes during the winter seasons," said Hayes. "During the summer and spring when the hot mix asphalt plants are open, we're able to go to the plants and get hot mix asphalt. That is the most durable repair."
Snowstorms, rainfall, or plows can knock these temporary patches out of filled potholes.
"Cold mix is a great temporary repair," said Hayes.
The new machine uses a durable tar material, or hot mix, instead of cold mix. This creates permanent repairs that can withstand harsh weather conditions.
"The cold weather doesn't stop this machine from working. That's the best news. The temporary nature of those cold patch repairs though is such that we have to come back and make a repair again in the spring or fall, and this is this is a one time fix," said Hayes.
Unlike the city's previous equipment, the new machine can operate year-round, eliminating the need for crews to return to the same locations multiple times.
Residents who spot potholes while driving or walking can contact the City of Pueblo Public Works Department to report them for repair.
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