Jan 10, 2008 6:25 am US/Central
City Wages All-Out Battle Against Potholes
18 Crews Work To Fill Gaps That Have Been A Roadway Epidemic
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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City Department of Transportation crews fill one of the many potholes that has cropped up this winter.
CBS
The wacky weather has been taking its toll on city roadways, and making pothole problems around Chicago harder to avoid.
As CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, if you have driven around Chicago lately, it has been a bumpy ride. Cold temperatures, road salt and plowing all contribute to the degradation of the pavement.
Severe problems with potholes have been observed on Lake Shore Drive, as well as several major surface streets citywide.
Officials from the city Department of Transportation say they are aggressively tackling the problem. The department has real-time maps that show where some 18 crews are working to fill those road gaps, which can take a toll on your car.
The crews have 3,800 miles of streets to cover, and they fill hundreds of potholes every day. On Wednesday alone, they had reports of 1,400 on their docket.
The calls come in from motorists who dial 3111, along with aldermen, and CDOT employees who keep their eyes on the situation. Phones have been ringing off the hook lately.
Officials blame the freeze-thaw cycle for the spike in potholes this year.
"We had 59-degree weather out there the other day," Department of Transportation Commissioner Thomas Byrne said. "Last week we had ice. It's getting to cracks in the surfaces, and that's causing pavement movement and recurring holes."
It used to be the average fill time on a pothole was about 20 days, but now it is down to 3 to 6 days. The mixture crews are now using to fill potholes is ground tires mixed with asphalt.
Last year, the pothole patrol filled about 271,000 of the nasty road nuisances. If you spot one, you are urged to call 311.
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