Lawrence Street Department fills potholes

The DPW/Street Department is doing everything in its power to stay on top of potholes. Streets Superintendent David Lotts explained, "We have a crew out every day when weather permits filling potholes around the city, the weather has made it difficult this year for sure.  With freezing, expansion, and contraction, water seeps under the roads causing them to buckle and be more susceptible to potholes."

When winter arrives, asphalt companies slow down production and stop making hot mix. This forces the Street Department to use a material called cold mix.  "The cold mix does fill the void but it does not last very long. Cold mix takes a lot longer to cure, especially with the ground and air temperature being cold.  As a result, the cold mix does not harden before a car, truck, or snow plow knocks it back out of the hole," said Lotts. Crews often visit the same potholes several times over the winter months until plants start making hot mix again.

Lotts said citizen reports of potholes assist his crews in timely repairs. Mayor Steve Collier said the reports he sees through MayorMail through email and the Mayor’s Action Line (317-545-6191) are valuable to the department as they address the holes when they open.  

The department does have a process when filling potholes: main roads are a priority due to the higher rate of traffic, they then move to the secondary roads and neighborhoods. Lotts said, "It is difficult to get into neighborhoods due to the cold mix coming out of the potholes on the mains, and we need to go back and re-patch the same holes."

Drivers may also notice the potholes called scabs, this is a very thin hole that is annoying, but does not cause damage. These are normally left open until they can be filled with hot mix, since cold mix will be gone before the crew leaves the street if filled with cold mix.

Lotts asks that citizens please be patient and understand this is a major challenge for crews. They not only have to keep filling the same potholes week after week, but fill new holes that arise. He added, "If you do see crews on the road please slow down and give them room to do their job."