OREM, Utah (ABC 4 News) - The Utah Department of Transportation is denying claims from hundreds of drivers with cars damaged by potholes on I-15 in Utah County.
There’s no argument on this point: it has been a bad winter for potholes inside the I-15 core project. They aren’t just popping up in a few places; they seem to be everywhere.
Heather Barth of Midvale is one of those hundreds who filed claims with UDOT for damage from potholes.
A couple days before Christmas, Heather and her husband, David, were driving back from Provo when they hit a series of big, deep holes in northbound I-15. “I screamed,” said Heather. She explained the noise of the impact was so loud she thought someone had run into them.
The car was checked out at a Firestone repair shop. The Barths were told that all four tires had sidewall damage and could not be repaired. What’s more, one of her rims was bent by the impact with the potholes and should also be replaced. The estimated cost of all the damage was more than $1,000.
Heather called an entity that handles claims against UDOT and its contractors and was told to fill out the paperwork and send it in. The answer was prompt: Denied.
The letter informing her of the decision read in part, “The Utah Department of Transportation and parties working on its behalf made all reasonable effort to maintain the road in usable condition.”
Heather didn’t think much of that effort. She said, “It’s frustrating because I know I’m not the only one that had this happen.”
“We don’t guarantee that the road surface is going to be in perfect condition,” said Scott Thompson, who is a UDOT spokesman assigned to the I-15 Core project in Utah County.
Thompson contends that UDOT did everything it could to stay on top of the problem. Crews even resurfaced entire sections of the old roadway. But time, traffic and the weather conspired against them.
“For our insurance, unless they can prove there has been some negligence on the department’s behalf – not taking care of the potholes in a timely manner – they have been denied,” stated Thompson.
“I definitely think that UDOT wasn’t listening,” said a disappointed Heather Barth.
To some degree, potholes are a typical hazard of winter driving. But Heather believes the problems in the I-15 construction zone went far beyond what anyone would consider typical.
She is wondering if any other drivers would be interested in working together to press UDOT to reverse its position on pothole damage. She’s even set up an email so they can communicate.
Here’s the address: ProvoPotholes@gmail.com
