From snowplows to pothole repair, UDOT crews have been busy

SALT LAKE CITY — First it was the snow that never seemed to stop and now it’s pothole repair. It has been an incredibly busy year for road crews at the Utah Department of Transportation.

After plowing snow all winter, those crews are now out trying to fill all the potholes the cold and snowy weather ice created.

Big storms loaded the slopes with snow all season long, creating avalanche danger in many areas.

Between all the plowing and now pothole repair, in March crews cleaned up naturally triggered avalanches and avalanches UDOT intentionally triggered in several canyons across the state.

“The number of potholes this year is a lot greater than it has been in years past,” said UDOT spokesperson John Gleason.

The road crews shifted focus from plowing roads to filling potholes almost overnight.

“With all of the storm cycles we had there was a lot of additional opportunities for those potholes to form,” Gleason said.

UDOT spends about $1 million every year to fix potholes. Gleason said UDOT would not be shocked if it costs more than that to fill this year’s potholes.

“We’re seeing potholes on all types of roads, a lot of times we see them on old pavements but they don’t always discriminate,” he added.

UDOT has scheduled several long-term projects with potholes that are more serious. Gleason said those areas include Interstate 215 near Indiana Avenue, the I-80 interchange and parts of I-80 at the mouth of Parleys Canyon and Kimbal Junction in Summit County.

“It becomes a safety concern when you are out there traveling freeway speeds and you hit a pothole going at that speed,” he said.

Right now, it’s full steam ahead. “In the spring, that’s when we can put in the hot patches. The asphalt plants are open again and we can put in those more permanent fixes,” Gleason said. “Our crews are out there working non-stop to make our roads safe.”

If you see a pothole that needs repair, you can report it here or download the UDOT Click ‘n Fix app.