LANCASTER — Potholes plague drivers, whether it is on the commute to work or a quick trip to the store for a gallon of milk. Hitting a pothole can blow out your car’s tire, bend the rim, damage the suspension or wreck the alignment.
According to AAA, one in 10 drivers in 2021 sustained vehicle damage significant enough to warrant a repair after hitting a pothole. With an average price tag of almost $600 per repair, damage caused by potholes cost drivers $26.5 billion in 2021 alone, the member and service association said.
The city spent $373,920 to repair 21,369 potholes last year. That covered about 1,483 miles. As of May 9 the city has filled 8,029 potholes.
Potholes can range in size from the diameter of a baseball to a backyard barbecue grill.
“If it’s more than three feet, we’re cutting it out and doing an R&R,” said Dustin Miller, a supervisor with the city’s Public Works Maintenance Services.
A repair that size involves cutting out a square section of asphalt, digging out some of the dirt, recompacting it and putting back new asphalt.
Potholes form when asphalt expands and contracts with the weather being hot and cold.
“When water gets under it, then it freezes and it makes asphalt expand even more,” Miller said. “So then that causes voids in between the asphalt layers or the asphalt sub-grade.”
The weight of vehicles driving over the weakened pavement causes it to crack more and more until it breaks off into little pieces and a pothole forms.
“Asphalt’s real pliable,” he said. “It’s not real strong, and the weather out in this Valley is real hard on it.”
The series of atmospheric river storms over the winter that dropped rain and snow on the Valley contributed to the pothole problem in the city. From December through February city workers filled 5,383 potholes.
Motorists can report any potholes they see on the roads on the city’s website at www.cityoflancasterca.org/services/online-services where they can select “Report a Problem” from the menu on the left side of the screen. From there click “Select a Topic,” chose Maintenance, Cleanup and Streets and then scroll down to potholes. Or call 661-723-5985.
Most potholes will be repaired within 48 hours, Miller said.
“Sometimes it’s a lot faster than that,” he added. “Usually I have guys out filling potholes all day long.”
In 2022, when the filled 21,369 potholes, it 404 complaints about potholes.
“The complaints that come in compared to what we actually do is a huge difference,” Miller said.
(1) comment
West Ave I has "gaps" every 20 feet (appx) which is strange (test application maybe?)...The gaps are growing wider apart every year. Next year they will be called a mini canyon(s) T-Max is the Goods..I had a friend in the asphalt business...T-Max asphalt has a lot of rubber (recycled?) in its composition (recipe)...giving you a smooth quiet ride...not sure about longevity or cost...I think west Ave I is T-Max, and the gaps maybe installations issues, or bonding issues...Demand T-max (as long as there is not any issues with it) and Enjoy the Ride. ;)
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