U.S. 40 Berthoud Pass is the most direct route from Denver to Winter Park, and it's filled with potholes.
Ted Williams uses Berthoud Pass pretty often and says he's seen the road deteriorate over time. While he hasn't run into any issues, his son did in April.
“He got to a section of road here right by Mary Jane, where he couldn't avoid a pothole due to oncoming traffic,” said Williams. “He flipped it. The wheel broke and took him directly into the guardrail.”
Williams' son walked away with minor injuries, but Williams and others are worried something more serious will happen as we approach summer.
"You've got people with their campers and their little boats that get out once a year, but maybe the tires aren't probably inflated — and I saw two the other day when I drove over,” said Grand Lake resident Jeff Clayton.
The owner of a towing company in nearby Fraser told Denver7 calls for flat tires along Berthoud Pass are through the roof, describing it as a very dangerous situation.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says fixing Berthoud Pass has been in the works for a while. Officials say potholes were patched in late April, and most recently last week, but a colder winter made repairs more challenging for crews.
“When there is a lot of snow melt coming down from extensive snowpack, it creates potholes again,” said Elise Thatcher with CDOT.
A long-term solution — a resurfacing project — is scheduled for June.
"There's expedited funds from our transportation commission statewide that go towards repairing significant potholes over the last winter and spring season,” said Thatcher.
CDOT says $11 million will go towards Berthoud Pass repairs.
“I pay taxes to keep my car road worthy, and I pay taxes to keep our roads, car worthy,” said Williams.
