Channel 11 rode along with PennDOT crews as they filled potholes in Westmoreland County Thursday. PennDOT says the work is only temporary as Mother Nature is unpredictable during the winter months.
“I’ll fix them today, which is Thursday, and they are calling for snow again on Sunday. If, for some reason, there are other potholes that pop up over the weekend because of the weather, my guys will be back out here Monday of next week, and we will start over again,” said Duane Wright, assistant county maintenance manager for PennDOT District 12.
Wright and his crew say it might seem premature, but they are out fixing potholes while they have some warmer days to keep people safe.
“Because of the holes on the road, people are talking about damage to their cars and things of that nature,” Wright said. “They’re putting their lives in danger because of the potholes on the road. So I tell my guys to go out there on a good day, we will patch them, and we will keep the people safe.”
The State’s asphalt plants open in April each year. So, until they can make a permanent fix, PennDOT crews use what’s called a ‘cold patch’ to make repairs on days the weather allows.
“So what we are doing right now- I’m using our patch co truck,” said Wright. “Our patch-co truck has an oil mix to it with the stone. Anything that is about an inch or lower, the patch co truck will come and fill it up because the asphalt won’t stay because it’s too thin.
Deeper holes will get asphalt and a cold patch on top. Duane’s crew is one of 20 throughout Westmoreland County filling potholes.
PennDOT does not have an official policy or timeline on when a pothole will be filled after a complaint.
“There is not an exact time or date that it has to get fixed,” said Wright. “But I feel as though I should have a timeframe of doing it so that people don’t come back, say a week later or two weeks later with the same complaint and damage.”
It costs PennDOT District 12 approximately $2.8 million a year for the patching work, with over 19 hundred tons of asphalt and over 37,000 hours of employee work. Wright said the alternative would be allowing potentially dangerous conditions on the roadways.
PennDOT encourages drivers to report potholes on state-owned roadways by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD or online by clicking here. Drivers should be as specific as possible, noting the county, municipality, street name and/or route number and landmarks.
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