SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 8, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — It’s been a long, bumpy winter in the Kimball Junction and Park City area, but the Utah Department of Transportation spent a good chunk of Wednesday trying to smooth things out.
Pot holes are the issue, and a mile or so of State Route 224 is the location.
“We’ve got a section of S.R. 224 leading from Kimball Junction into Park City that has had a major pot hole issue this year,” said John Gleason, out with a road crew on an almost balmy, 48 degree day.
“We’ve got more severe weather that happens here than really anywhere else in our state,” he said. “If you look underneath us here, there’s a street that actually runs over the road, so you’ve got moisture coming from above and below. All that can really help accelerate the pot hole issue.”
Crews arrived just after morning rush hour and hoped to be done before the evening commute.
“But with this type of work, there’s always the potential that the repair could be a little more comprehensive and it could be a little bit longer,” Gleason said, adding that he hoped drivers would understand any delays.
Crews worked to square off each pot hole so asphalt could be added for a smooth, even finish. The road always takes a beating, not just because of the snowy locale and the stream below, but because of extra traffic that comes all winter, during ski season, and in January with the Sundance Film Festival. Large trucks carry supplies up and down the road, and tourist car traffic is heavy.
And extra snowy winters don’t help.
“With the amount of winter storms we’ve had this year — the freeze-thaw cycle — that also really helps accelerate the pot-hole issues,” Gleason said.
A major rehabilitation for the road is planned next year, and the hope is that patches will stabilize the road until the rehab budget is available, Gleason said.
