Colorado interstates improved by 1 percent, but where does that leave rural roads

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project

CDOT: a 1% drop in poor rural pavement or interstate? Both?

Recently on my way home I was listening to KUNC and heard a story where CDOT was crowing about how they’ve repaired something like 1% of rural roads in Colorado. Something didn’t smell right and I wanted to double check on the exact claim when I got home. I couldn’t find a link to a written story on KUNC’s site about it (perhaps it was radio only?), so I wrote in to the CDOT media people and asked for some details.

Before we get to the claim let’s back up for some context.

According to the first link below, CDOT’s Fixing Rural Roads page (quoting):

“Over the course of CDOT’s outreach effort we heard from rural communities across Colorado about the need to improve the condition of rural roads, and about the importance of freight routes to take products from farm to market. We also heard frustration that, because their roads carry less volume than urban areas, CDOT’s pavement models rarely direct scarce resources toward lasting rural road repairs. Recent data indicates that those frustrations are valid. In August 2019, a report by the Reason Foundation showed that Colorado has slipped to 47th in the nation when it comes to the condition of our rural pavement. The first four years of this plan allocates 25% of all dollars (over $300 million) to rural pavement condition — the largest single investment in CDOT’s recent history. CDOT proposes maintaining this focus throughout the decade, with a total of $1.3 billion going toward rural roads between 2020 and 2030. This would repair 1,300 miles of rural pavement across the state. Many of these roads haven’t been repaved since the 1970s.”

Heard frustration did ya? No s**t.

Further down on the page are CDOT’s highlights for the first 4 years of this undertaking and a look ahead at the next 5. That’s in screenshot 1 attached.

Back to the CDOT’s spokesperson’s claim on KUNC. The media person I emailed with sent me the following (quoting my email):

“I believe our Communications Director spoke to KUNC and mentioned that in 2024 we saw a reduction in poor interstate pavement by more than a full percentage point. See the graph below for more details.”

The graph referenced was in my email and I attached a copy here as screenshot 2.

If the graph is accurate, then that claim is too: going from 3.3% bad roads to 2.3% from 2023 to 2024 is indeed a drop of a full percentage point. It’s also worth noting that CDOT is hitting their targets, both the 2023 and 2025 target.

Then I reread the graph the CDOT spokesperson sent me and realized my confusion/conflation of the issue. I honestly don’t remember whether or not this was clearly stated in the KUNC story, so let’s play it safe and assume the confusion is mine (a safe bet indeed as my wife and/or students can attest). That is, I’m not going to blame CDOT for trying to lead me around by the nose.

Looking carefully at the graph, you’ll see how it relates to interstate miles. Not rural interstates specifically. Not rural roads. Interstates.

That’s not quite what I’d asked about. I’m glad they’re chipping away at the problem interstates, but I am interested specifically in repairs in rural areas–interstates AND other state-owned roadways. This is all the more relevant when you look at the “Related” content below.

I’m going to follow up on this and see if I can’t get some better numbers on rural roads and rural interstates. I wasn’t able to do so by the time this post went up, so I will update as I hear.

In the meantime, just a quick reminder: you can attend CDOT commissioner meetings and give them your thoughts. You can also contact any of the commissioners by email to do same.

Oh, and the various enterprises that take your tax (oops! “fee”) money for projects also hold public meetings. Meetings which you can also speak at to give them your thoughts.

You will find links to the commissioners and enterprise board pages in the second link below. Scroll down and click on the tab labeled “Boards, Committee, & Commissions” to find the various links. See screenshot 3 attached.

Perhaps a little more direct expression of frustration to the people who decide what to do with the copious taxes and fees that you pay is in order. Perhaps they need to hear some frustration.

https://www.codot.gov/programs/yourtransportationpriorities/fixing-rural-roads

https://www.codot.gov/about/transportation-facts

Related:

This is almost assuredly fixed by now, but just to give you a sense of the rural repairs and their progress, late last week a literal hole opened up in the road (I-76) near me in Ovid, CO.

Way to fix our damn roads Guv!

https://www.julesburgadvocate.com/2025/08/28/hole-in-i-76-overpass-at-ovid-cdot-crews-assessing-conditions/

READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT THE COLORADO ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.