“Operation Pothole” is underway with Public Works crews working night and day, seven days a week, to patch potholes.

Residents are encouraged to help the City locate potholes and settled roadway cuts by reporting them to Public Works at 975-2491. An inspector will determine the patching priority for each report, and if necessary, will place a gate or cone to warn motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians of the location before patching is completed. Potholes or roadway cuts that are determined to be a hazard will be given immediate attention; and streets with recurring pothole problems will be evaluated for permanent resurfacing.

Potholes are caused when moisture, such as snowmelt or rain, enters a crack in the pavement, then freezes and expands in cold temperatures. The expansion puts pressure on the crack, causing the asphalt to break away, resulting in a pothole. Vehicle traffic over the pothole can cause the edges to crumble, which increases the size.

Residents are reminded that new potholes will appear during the freeze/thaw cycle at this time of year. In addition, some potholes will require repeated temporary patching until the street dries and permanent patching can be done.

Although some street damage may look like a pothole at first, not all roadway defects are potholes. When pavement is cut for water, sewer or utility repairs, and permanent patching isn’t possible, temporary fill is used. That temporary fill may settle during the freeze/thaw cycle, causing holes on the roadway. Crews are temporarily patching settled pavement cuts, and will begin permanent patching of these areas after the frost comes out of the ground, around mid-April.

Temporary patching is done manually with recycled asphalt on streets that are still wet with snowmelt.

If a pothole or pavement cut is full of water, it’s impossible for motorists to tell how deep it is. Therefore, motorists are reminded to slow down whenever they encounter a pothole or a pool of water to avoid the possibility of vehicle damage, and splashing pedestrians. Motorists are responsible to avoid driving through water-filled potholes and pavement cuts whenever possible.

Road maintenance equipment is large and slow moving. Motorists are asked to please exercise caution when passing, and to be considerate of pedestrians and slow down to prevent splashing.