Tuesday April 1, 2008

Crews to Fill Potholes for Two Weeks

Starting tomorrow, crews from the Louisville Metro Division of Streets and Roads will begin a two week long, city-wide pothole repair blitz. Crews expect to cover 1,000 miles of road and fill 3,500 potholes. Crews have already filled 6,035 potholes since the beginning of the year.

Weather permitting, ten crews made up of five employees will concentrate on filling potholes and pavement failures created by the weather. Pothole teams will begin work in the center of the city and work their way out to the far corners of the community. Each crew is assigned specific geographic areas.

This is the first year that Metro Public Works has utilized a regularly scheduled overnight crew. When those crews were not preparing roads for snow with brine or salt, they were filling potholes. The overnight crews have improved efficiency and allowed more potholes to be repaired when traffic flow is minimal.

On Wednesday, April 2 at 9 a.m., reporters and photographers can see crews in action at the corner of Cherokee Parkway and Willow Avenue in the Highlands. There will also be several opportunities available for interviews. For more information about this media availability, contact Kerri Richardson at 574-1903.

Pothole Facts & Figures

Potholes are created when moisture penetrates and collects in depressions and cracks in the asphalt. The freezing and thawing process during the winter creates weak spots in the pavement that become craters as cars travel over the road.

Last year the city filled 18,175 potholes and filled 123,274 square feet of road surface, which translates into 2.9 acres of asphalt. So far this year, crews have filled 6,035 potholes and filled 17,310 square feet of asphalt.

Streets and Roads employees will fill potholes on roads that are maintained by the city. The Kentucky Department of Transportation is responsible for filling potholes on interstates, expressways and major thoroughfares, such as Bardstown Road and Dixie Highway.

To a report a pothole, call MetroCall 311 or visit the “I want to” section of www.LouisvilleKy.gov. Crews will make every effort to fill the pothole within 48 hours, weather permitting.