I-40 near Gallup will likely be shut down again for pothole repairs

The New Mexico Department of Transportation shut down parts of eastbound I-40 for the past three nights to fill potholes. Unfortunately, all that hard work isn’t holding up and crews will likely have to shut down the freeway again.

“It started to fail almost immediately yesterday afternoon,” said Delane Baros, an NMDOT spokesperson. “The reason being is because the bulk of the soil underneath is clay, and then the subgrade is just completely saturated with moisture.”

Essentially, the rain and snow that caused these potholes to form in the first place – is now preventing NMDOT from fixing them.

It is also hindering the new bridge work over the Continental Divide.

“The bridge work is complete,” Baros said. “We’re just waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate with us, so the contractor can come in and do the paving work.”

NMDOT reps said their crews are just as frustrated as the drivers stuck in traffic. They are asking for travelers to bear with them until the weather warms up.

You can report pavement issues at www.nmroads.com or at www.dot.nm.gov under “Contact Us.”

Any damage caused to your vehicle from potholes should be submitted as a claim within 90 days to Aaron Peinado at aaron.peinado@dot.nm.gov. The claim form is available on the General Services website, www.generalservices.state.nm.us, under the Risk Management tab (Tort Notice of Claim). Please note that claims will be reviewed to determine eligibility for coverage.