HELENA – If you have driven around town, you may have spotted a pothole or two.
City officials with Helena Public Works told MTN there have been a few frustrated drivers who have reported numerous potholes in public parking lots and neighborhoods.
Due to warming weather, the asphalt cracks, loosening and separating the ground, after the heavy snowfall. As temperatures rise, the ground expands, causing the dirt to shift easier from repeated traffic. Wear and tear is a year-round issue for the city’s Public Works.
Drivers should be conscientious and remember to slow down while driving, especially after it rains, as those deep holes can damage vehicles.
Street and Traffic Superintendent, David Knoepke, said they now have hot mix to permanently fill holes.
Knoepke said, “Since the weather got nicer, we’ve been using cold mix to fill in the potholes, which typically isn’t a permanent fix. They get washed out and blow out, and blow out again, but today the hot plants opened up for the city of Helena, so we are able to get hot mix and put those into the potholes, which will be more of a permanent fix so we shouldn’t have recurring potholes in the same area.”
Patrons should also know that potholes in parking lots outside of restaurants and schools will not be filled because they’re not public holes. Those holes will have to be privately taken care of.
To report a pothole, please visit here.
-Reported by Christine Sullivan/MTN News
