Drivers’ pothole concerns lead to MoDOT emergency pavement repair on I-70 exit ramp
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
On average, the Missouri Department of Transportation fixes around 150 potholes a day, according to MoDOT Assistant District Engineer Randy Aulbur.
But Aulbur said responding to winter events takes top priority, especially coming out of the intense winter storms we saw across Mid-Missouri last week.
“That becomes our focus first, and then kind of on the back side of a winter event, as temperatures start to fluctuate up and down, you start to see potholes form,” Aulbur said.
Once the snow melts, road crews are presented with a new challenge - pothole repair. Aulbur said MoDOT prioritizes pothole response based upon a number of factors.
“The severity of the issue and the location, as far as the amount of traffic that's impacting (our decisions)," Aulbur said. "We’ll work to get a response on those.”
One specific pothole seemed to cause many issues for drivers, recently.
Doug Perry Towing made a Facebook post Friday about a pothole on the eastbound Interstate 70 off ramp that had customers coming in with tire issues and bent rims.
"Eastbound 1-70 off ramp @ the connector has a pot hole that's keeping us busy with tire changes and bent rims please beware and try to dodge it," the post says.
It was so busy in fact, that when ABC 17 News tried to schedule an interview, a spokesman for Doug Perry Towing said it couldn't be fitted into their full day of repairs scheduled.
A to Z Auto repair has also saw similar issues on Friday.
One worker said he had his own bad encounter with a pothole Friday morning. It was coincidentally the same pothole on the Interstate 70 off ramp.
"Driving on I-70, getting off at 63, headed towards Jefferson City. There is a whole collection of potholes," Stuart Boll, of A to Z Auto Repair, said. "And I, myself, had to hit three big ones just because there was traffic around me. It's not going to get any better without MoDOT replacing it or fixing it."
ABC 17 News asked MoDOT about what is being done to fix that specific pothole.
"We actually had crews out there working on it early this morning," Aulbur said. "What we kind of did this morning, was kind of the temporary type fix that we could do. We're looking to do a permanent fix tonight."
He said a patch material made specifically for wintertime was used for a temporary fix. The more permanent fix will be filling it with either concrete or asphalt. MoDOT crews are now closing part of Highway 63 in Columbia to make repairs until 8 a.m. Saturday.
It will close one lane of Highway 63 on Friday for emergency pavement repairs, MoDOT said in a press release. The department said the temporary repairs it tried Friday morning didn't hold, so crews will be back Friday night to work on it.
Aulbur said this comes because the department listens to the public's concerns.
"That's the outreach going public and everything working the way it should," Aulbur said.
Most pothole repairs happen in the Spring. Aulbur said MoDOT is preparing to fill more gaps come March.
“I think we're gearing up with being prepared for that,” Aulbur said.
People can make a road report to MoDOT by filing out a report form or calling 1-888-ASK-MoDOT.
