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Gene Kennedy reporting Traffic headaches, cars taking a beating, and drivers are fed up. We all knew winter beat up the roads, but with this recent melt we've got a closer look at just how bad it is.
One of the worst stretches in the Salt Lake Valley is along 3300 South, but it's by no means the only problem spot. Some of the roads are so bad they need not just a short-term fix, but a major face-lift.
"Every time I hit one I gotta get a new alignment," driver Jason Hallberg said.
Driver David Ricks said, "The potholes are killing my wheels."
It's a very bumpy ride on 3300 South, and it's the Utah Department of Transportation's (UDOT) job to get the bumps out. Crews will spend every sunny day between now and spring patching potholes where they can.
But they're frustrated too. "We've even filled some of the same holes several times," pothole patcher Zack Higgins said.
UDOT says 35,000 vehicles travel 3300 South every day. Mix that with winter, and you get potholes. "Really until May, it's a never-ending battle," said Nile Easton, spokesman for UDOT.
Not only here, but both Van Winkle near I-215 and 9000 South are bad. Add those with 3300 South, and you have roads that are eight years old each. That may not sound old, but UDOT says these roads are at the end of their lives. This summer, crews will repave those three major routes.
Some of the crews you're seeing now are doing utility work before the big face-lift. So, until roads are redone, it's patch and be patient. "Probably from now until the end of summer there'll be sections of 3300 South that will be one lane of traffic," Easton said.
UDOT says it spends at least $1 million a year dealing with potholes. The reason it's such a headache right now is the melt that's taking place--because it'll freeze again, then thaw and create more potholes.
