Thaw and freeze a tough cycle on the streets

DENVER – With the dramatic changes in temperature in store this week, it could create big problems on the city streets.

Denver Public Works is in overdrive to get streets cleared before an arctic cold front moves in late in the week.

The snow that started melting quickly on Monday will freeze, creating large areas of ice.

Public Works says even though they have front-end loaders and graders working 12-hour shifts, they will not be able to get to all the streets before the next storm.

“Many of the residential streets are not going to be down to bare pavement before the next storm,” said Ann Williams, with Denver Public Works. “We are really going into unexplored territory here of course another storm is going to further complicate the situation.”

Sara Westra says it’s easier to walk around her neighborhood than drive.

“Now that the melt has started, there are huge pools and puddles,” she said. “And then it will freeze again.”

In Denver, the priority has been to clear the roads around schools, because school starts up again on Tuesday.

But Public Works says they plan to keep plugging away.

“It has been an extreme situation and it continues to grow. We certainly haven’t closed the book on it yet,” said Williams.

The thaw and freeze cycle also means more potholes.

Potholes are created by the expansion and contraction of water in cracks in the pavement.

Denver got 185 complaints about potholes last Friday and Public Works says it filled 120 over the weekend.

The upkeep on the roads does not come cheap either. As of January 1st, Denver Public Works had spent $3.2 million. The entire budget for the fiscal year is $4 million.