CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Warmer weather in West Virginia has allowed the Division of Highways to begin patching potholes left behind by winter weather.
Asphalt plants in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Clarksburg and Princeton opened early, allowing crews access to the hot asphalt needed to repair potholes.
Crews began repairing potholes Tuesday on the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 between the Dunbar and Institute exits.
DOH spokesperson Brent Walker said on MetroNews Midday Tuesday that crews are accustomed to switching from plowing roads to patching potholes.
“We went from treating and plowing snow and ice to now filling potholes in a temporary band-aid way and now with some warmer weather we can make better repairs,” Walker said.
During the winter months, DOH crews typically use a mixture of cold asphalt to repair the worst potholes because asphalt plants are closed for maintenance and it is too cold to use hot asphalt. He said the department is not putting away the cold patch because the state has not completely moved past winter weather.
Walker said that warmer weather allows crews to use the proper tools to ensure potholes do not reopen.
“We can put that hot asphalt down, and we can use skid-steers and rollers and square them up and clean them up and just make a more permanent fix,” he said.
According to a DOH release, when patching is done properly, a repair can last as long as the roadway itself.
Walker said the department knows the locations of potholes because people call to report them. He added that road repairs are prioritized in the same way the department prioritizes plowing after a winter storm.
“We have to prioritize just like we would with plow and treating, we’ll go to our U.S. routes, our interstates, our high-trafficked routes, and we’ll begin making those repairs with the hot mix,” he said.