Twin Cities' big temperature swing ushers in early pothole season
From a deep freeze all the way to the 50s, the drastic change in temperatures in the Twin Cities is the perfect recipe for potholes.
Joe Paumen, director of transportation, maintenance and repair for the City of Minneapolis, says he expects to see potholes popping up this week.
He said a 50-degree temperature swing in a week's time is nature's way of messing with our roads. He recommends keeping an eye on your vehicle's tires and alignment.
"I always equate it to, you know, when you put a can of pop in the freezer and forget about it. It expands, and that's what's happening under our roads," Paumen said. "Any water that gets in there when it freezes, it expands. And so the more times that that happens during the winter, you know, the higher number of potholes we'll have."
Minneapolis has a thousand miles of wet city streets to patch and care for, not to mention another 400 miles of alleyways. And with plenty of freeze-thaw in the forecast, Paumen said expect to see city crews out patching potholes this week.
It's an annual tradition that's starting a bit early this year. But just like snowplows, Paumen is asking drivers to give city trucks plenty of space.
"We appreciate everyone's patience and ask people to go slow when they see our crews out there working, and we're going to get them patched as quickly as we can," he said.
Paumen said the city will be using a "hot patch" on potholes as opposed to a cold patch. He says the hot patch lasts longer on busy Minneapolis streets.
