CASTLE PINES, Colo. — For drivers who live in Castle Pines, it is hard to miss the potholes and cracks covering much of the city's main thoroughfares. But it is not just the drivers who notice. Mechanics say the bad roads are bringing in more customers.
"People have come in, definitely in need of alignments from hitting the potholes that are in the area," said Stephen Graham, a mechanic at Big-O-Tires in Castle Pines. "If I had to put a number to it, I would say three to four times a week."
Residents say the cracks, potholes and temporary fixes to the roads are getting annoying.
"When you drive into Castle Pines and you are on these roads, it is an impression to me that is not a good one," said Michael Perry a resident of Castle Pines. "If that is the strategy, then we are going to be constantly in this mode of fixing and patchworking. And I just don’t think that is a good look for the city."
Currently, crews are filling in patches along Castle Pines Drive, one of the main entry points for the city. However, the roads, built to last 30 years, are well past their expiration date.
"Our roads are miserable in the downtown area," said Castle Pines City Councilmember Roger Hudson. "When we incorporated, we inherited just some terrible roads."
The city is proposing a $30 million fix to two main thoroughfares that will be on the ballot in November. The plan is to tear-up and rebuild many of the roads that are overdue for replacement.
"As time has gone on they have needed more love, more care, more maintenance, just more changes to the infrastructure than we have been able to afford," said Hudson. "This ballot measure actually will take care of construction and maintenance for the next four to six years."
Some residents say the money should come from the budget instead of extra expenditures. But Hudson says major fixes like this require major funding.
"We fund all of our road improvements through the general fund and that just is not going to sustain the kind of infrastructure we need in our city as we grow," he said. "The kind of repairs we are talking about are not just repairs, they are really recreating our roads."
No matter where the money comes from, drivers on major roads in Castle Pines say something needs to be done.
"When you drive up and down this in one of your vehicles, it is obvious," said Perry. "This is not a good look or a good ride in your vehicle."