By MARK MCGEE
If the snow and rain weren’t enough the intense cold streaks this winter have been a perfect ingredient for the development of potholes.
Buck Vallad, Director of Public Works for the City of Shelbyville, said his department has filled more than 700 potholes in the last week.
“Temperatures have been ideal for potholes,” Vallad said. “When extreme weather changes occur weaknesses in asphalt are the first to show wear hence the potholes.
“We are continuing to fill any potholes that we may have missed. With temperatures stabilizing the number of potholes should decrease.”
Vallad can’t control the weather. However, adding to the difficulties of repairing potholes, is the increase traffic on city streets.
“Our biggest obstacles are traffic and weather,” Vallad said. “Patching material does not work well in cold or rain.”
One advantage this year is the addition of a hot box to help with the patching in cold weather.
“The City did purchase a hot box that heats our material,” Vallad said. “This make the material easier to hand and gives us the ability to effectively patch in colder weather.”
Vallad added that being able to use hot mix instead of cold mix will make the repairs last longer.
Paving of streets should not be an issue if the potholes are so severe that extensive repairs are needed beyond patching. The City has doubled the allotment for street improvements from $500,000 in Fiscal 2024 to $1.1 million in Fiscal 2025.
“Public works was a big issue paving-wise,” Shelbyville Mayor Randy Carroll said. “One of the things we wanted to do was put more money into streets. “We had $500,000 in the budget the first year I was in office. It just doesn’t go very far when you are talking about pavement.”
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) also has multiple crews patching potholes over the coming days and weeks.
For TDOT repairs cold mix asphalt is being used for temporary repairs. Permanent repairs will be made in spring and early summer when asphalt plants are producing ample amounts of hot mix and it’s more readily available.
