Why is it that in spring potholes pop up everywhere? The answer is simple: The extreme fluctuation of freeze and thaw of winter causes the bloom of potholes.
Potholes form when water seeps into cracks in the asphalt and freezes resulting in making bigger cracks and eventually broken pieces of asphalt. Vehicles drive over the broken pieces that become dislodged and “the pothole” starts to form. The higher the traffic volume the larger the pothole.
How can potholes be fixed? In order to effectively patch a pothole the weather has to be dry. IF a pothole is filled with water, ice or snow, the asphalt filling will not stick. The best fix for this time of year is Cold Mix; a temporary measure to repair potholes. Cold Mix is only workable at temperatures above 0C, that means the pothole repair starts early spring when weather warms up.
Ideally Hot Mix, a more permanent fix, which would be the preferred method but requires a temperature above 85c or 185f. Asphalt comes from Kamloops and is delivered by truck; the transport in the winter months would cool off the mix too much to be workable.
The District’s Roads Contractor started the Cold Mix pothole patching the week of February 22, 2021 and will continue as the weather permits. Please be mindful of the workers out there and slow down or stop to keep them safe. We thank you for your patience during this process. We will keep you posted on road works as the season changes – keep a watch out on www.districtofclearwater.com or our Facebook page.