The City of South Bend has been actively patching a bumper crop of potholes produced by numerous winter freeze and thaw cycles.
 
Street Department crews continue repairing potholes using hot mix asphalt now available because area asphalt plants have reopened for the construction season.  Before this, crews used a cold patch product to seal the potholes, as this was all that was available before early April.
 
Here is a recap of the level of effort and expenditure targeted to pothole patching this year (January 7-April 3 data):

• Cost of patching material used - almost $ 60,000 
• Cost of wages of patching crews-- about $ 121,000....about 7,000 man-hours 
• Cost to operate trucks, hot boxes and other patching equipment -about $ 76,000 

Total cost of more than $ 257,000....up dramatically from recent years and we still have a lot of work to do.
 
Between the hot box traditional manual approach and the mechanized one-person patching truck technology approach, we estimate that we have patched 36,000 standard equivalent potholes of 1 foot square by 4 inches deep.  About 20,000 of those potholes have been filled using the traditional manual method with four hot boxes pulled behind trucks and using men with shovels and tampers.  About 16,000 of the potholes have been filled using two (2) one-person pothole patching trucks with articulating snorkels that blow out water and debris from the hole, place liquid asphalt and angular stone in alternating layers to fill the hole to level with the street surface. The unfortunate fact is that these potholes may be the same 6,000 holes, some on the main routes for example, that had been repaired using the cold patch method and the materials popped out from the six moisture and freezing cycles.  This has been a large effort by the Street Department of covering around 4,000 square yards mostly by hand in one square yard amounts, which is the equivalent to hand paving 32 City blocks. 
 
There is still a lot more to do. We are currently working aggressively at potholes along with picking up leaves and giving the city its first good sweep to pick up all of the accumulation of sand, grit, and debris from winter. We are also measuring and rating streets to plan this season's paving program.  Early reports indicate that there are many streets in need of work--Mayor Luecke will be asking for an additional appropriation of interest from Major Moves funds to augment resources to help get the job done while not spending beyond a sustainable level where we can get good prep work to make sure the new street wearing surface lasts. 
 
Street Commissioner Sam Hensley is planning more pilot paving using a mix design that is growing in popularity in Europe.  We hope for increased durability out of a product mix that will allow us to stretch resources to help resurface more streets in need. 
 
We will complete street condition ratings by late April and confirm the major paving list to the public.  Some street paving of streets that are obviously in very bad shape and need to make this years list will begin even before the final list is out at the end of April.  Many more streets will see crack sealing, infrared spot repairs, or inlays of asphalt to extend street service life. We appreciate your patience as South Bend, St. Joseph County, Mishawaka and INDOT state road crews all work to get their streets fixed from damage of one of the tougher winters in recent history.  Please slow down and drive to the conditions while we continue repair work.  Drive safely especially near road maintenance crews---Give our crews a brake. Thank you for your patience. 
 
Report the worst of the worst potholes on Major Streets (bus routes):
Our priority road patching focus for the next week is downtown and major streets.  To report a large road hazard pothole---deeper than 4 inches and larger than 1 square foot on any major high traffic volume street (bus routes) call 235-9244 and we will add it to our priority work list.  When we have fixed the main streets with hot mix asphalt patch, hopefully in the next week weather permitting, we will move into the more minor residential street patching.

Contact: Sam Hensley or Pete Kaminski at 235-9244.