County, state road crews focus on pothole repair

"We've put our whole staff on it,” said Perry Mitchell, Durham road maintenance supervisor.

“We've switched gears from regular routine maintenance to doing all potholes," he said.

Wake County had switched all maintenance crews to pothole duty this week as well.

On state roads, crews repaired so many potholes there was no point to keep count, Steve Abottt the state DOT said.

Abbott said, “We have a lot of crews out and if they see one on the way to another, they fill those as well.”

The DOT uses the “cold” and “spray” patch methods, according to a statement released Wednesday. Both are interim fixes that NCDOT uses to response to potholes formed during the winter.

Most asphalt plants do not operate during winter months and the preferred “hot mix” asphalt is not available, according to the DOT. The state will use the hot asphalt to make more permanent fixes when the weather gets warmer.

While the responsibility for any one road can vary – the city is in charge of Glen Eden Drive, for example, but the state maintains the bridge over the Beltline – local and state officials share complaints so that work can begin quickly in problem spots.

Often, those problems are identified by drivers, who report potholes to the city and the state via phone or e-mail.

Preparation for and clearing after snowstorms in January and February has cost more than $2 million in the Triangle, Abbott said.

Wake County has spent the most to date – $952,693.52 through Monday. Durham County spent $345,035.63 on roads and Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties each spent more than $200,000.