Why These Terrible Potholes Won’t Be Fixed Anytime Soon In Minnesota + Wisconsin
For the last couple of weeks, instead of following traffic lanes and road stripes, most of us have been trying to drive wherever we can to avoid potholes. This year it seems to be worse than others. Perhaps it's been the wild temperature swings?
This is the time of year when potholes show up. The deep freeze of winter has left, snow and ice melting, and we are seeing what damage old man winter has done to our roads.
Unfortunately, it's going to be quite a while before we see any fixes. Why don't city crews just get to work and fix them?
It's because asphalt plants don't start up until late spring. The only product that crews can use is called a "cold mix." Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well. When the temperature does rise above 35 degrees, it comes loose and comes out of the pothole and usually making it even bigger.
Mayor Jim Paine of Superior, Wisconsin unveiled a new app for the city where you can report problems like potholes. That obviously was a hot topic with residents. That's where he explained the issues with fixing them now.
It's frustrating, but it's the only tool available. Why don't asphalt plants start up until late spring? It's because it needs to be hotter than 45 degrees to lay down hot asphalt for patches. There's no point in keeping a plant open and running if nobody can use it.
So there we are, stuck navigating through craters, popping tires, bending rims, and wreaking havoc on our suspensions. Maybe we will have decent roads by June?
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