Road crews begin winter pothole repairs

Winter is winding down and regional roads are showing wear and tear from the ice and snow.

Pothole repairs have already started in Waterloo.

During cold weather crews use a cold mix, a temporary fix before they do a more thorough repair with hot asphalt.

On Friday, crews out were out on Lee Avenue and they’re expected to continue that work around the city for the next several weeks.

Unlike past winters where the region went through wild temperature swings, this season was more moderate.

“If you get a freeze-thaw, you get water under the pavement,” Bob Henderson, Waterloo’s manager of transportation, explained. “If you get a freeze again it can pop the pavement out of the road.”

Henderson said local roads held up fairly well this winter and there are fewer pothole complaints.

“We are in a good spot but we will continue to monitor our roads for potholes and we’ll repair them as need be,” he added. “We’ve come out of this winter relatively unscathed in terms of damage to our roadways.”

Columbia Auto Service in Waterloo has already seen a few vehicles needing pothole-related repairs.

“Every time you hit a pothole the force goes directly up,” said owner Jim Voight. “It can damage the tires, rims, suspensions, other steering components. They take a large shock when they hit a large pothole.”

The damage can really add up.

“The cost of repairing could be $2,000-$3,000 depending on the model of car,” Voight said.

Newer cars are often sold with a thinner tire, he explains, making it easier to damage the wheel.

“If the pothole [is] big enough [it] will compress the tire and cause the rim to be damaged and ruin the tire.”

Residents who want to report a pothole are advised to use the city’s online reporting system.