What the City does about potholes

Public Works crews fill and patch potholes year-round.

During the winter months, we fill the worst potholes with a temporary type of asphalt called “cold mix”. The winter cold mix uses a softer, stickier asphalt that can be compacted into a hole even in below-freezing temperatures. As temperatures warm, the temporary cold mix becomes soft and will need to be replaced.

Spring is the time of year when most potholes appear and we have crews dedicated to this work. When the asphalt plants open in spring, we patch potholes with “hot mix” asphalt. This is the same asphalt used to build new roads. Hot mix patches last anywhere from a year to several years.

Patching potholes in the rain and snow

To properly patch potholes, the pothole should be dry. Potholes that are patched when wet may pop back out due to the fact that the material has not stuck to the hole.