Seattle fills 1,100 potholes in wake of historic snowstorm
Mar 6, 2019, 6:20 AM | Updated: Mar 8, 2019, 6:54 am
(SDOT)
(SDOT)
February was historic for Seattle, with the most snow experienced in 50 years. Just because the snow is gone, however, that doesn’t mean Seattle is finished cleaning up after it, evidenced by the 1,100 potholes that were recently repaired over a single week, with crews working through the weekend.
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In 2018, Seattleites reported around 100 potholes to the city for repair on a weekly basis. In just a single month, the city’s pothole problems increased exponentially, thanks in large part to the 20 inches of snow that came down in February.
A recent blog post from the Seattle Department of Transportation laid out the pothole issues that arise in the wake of snow.
Snow and ice cause lasting damage to our roadways as water finds its way into cracks in the pavement. The recent series of storms were particularly damaging as temperatures rose above and fell below freezing several times allowing ice to repeatedly thaw and freeze. Each time trapped water freezes, it expands and forces apart larger fissures in the roadway. When heavy vehicles like trucks and buses drive over these fissures, pieces of pavement break loose and form larger holes.
Even after repairing 1,100 potholes over a week, SDOT noted that there’s still a good deal of work to do to completely fix the damage from February’s snow.
“We’ve prioritized filling the most hazardous potholes on roads used by the most vehicles before they get worse – but there’s a lot more work ahead of us,” it said.
Even recent work done after the snow could prove problematic. Repairs made in rainy weather don’t always last, as asphalt struggles to bind to surrounding pavement when it’s wet and cold.
In the meantime, SDOT is encouraging anyone requesting a repair on a pothole to download the city’s “Find It, Fix It” app, call 206-684-ROAD, or submit an online report here.
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