Crews working to fill potholes formed by temperature change
Drivers are asked to be on alert for potholes on interstates, U.S. highways, and state routes. The rise and fall in temperatures following last week’s severe winter weather was a recipe for potholes to form quickly. As temperatures continue to rise and fall through the winter season, more potholes are likely to form. When the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is not clearing snow, ice or storm debris, crews are focused on maintaining and preserving the state’s roads and bridges, which often consists of pothole patching in the winter months.
Crews are filling potholes as quickly as possible, but with nearly 4,800 lane miles to maintain in the Northeast Indiana District, it is a big job.
Potholes begin when water seeps into the cracks in a road and freezes, expanding the layers of pavement, stone and soil beneath the surface. As the ice melts and contracts, heavy highway traffic further loosens the pavement, forming potholes.
With temperatures too low for paving, most of Indiana’s hot mix asphalt plants are now closed. During the winter INDOT uses cold mix – a mixture of small stone and liquid asphalt – as a temporary patch. Even after being filled with cold patch, the same pothole requires ongoing maintenance and can reopen several times throughout the winter. When the asphalt plants reopen in the spring, INDOT maintenance crews clean out and then repair potholes with hot mix, providing a smoother, more permanent fix.
For the past several years, INDOT has been expanding its Pavement Preservation Program to improve pavement friction and seal tiny cracks before potholes form. For every dollar invested, research estimates that pavement preservation saves taxpayers $6 to $14 in future maintenance and construction costs. Pavement preservation also uses fewer natural resources than reconstruction and significantly reduces motorist inconvenience.
To report a pothole on a state route, interstate or U.S. highway in Northeast Indiana, call 866-227-3555 or email neinformation@indot.in.gov. INDOT urges drivers to slow down and stay alert when encountering pavement maintenance crews. Updates are available by liking the Indiana Department of Transportation Northeast Facebook page and by following @INDOTNortheast on Twitter.
