How does ODOT handle pothole repairs?
ODOT winter workforces continually work to repair pavement damage between storms. The same crews who keep highways safe and passable during winter events continually trade their plows in for pothole patching vehicles and materials. In between snowflakes, under heavy traffic and through the darkness of night, they are filling potholes that were created by the freeze/thaw cycles. This time of year ODOT uses “cold mix” to repair potholes. Cold mix is a combination of asphalt, rocks, sand and an emulsion that causes the product to adhere to the hole. Cold mix is best used in cold weather, hence the name, and does not have to be heated to a hot temperature to work. The positive is – it works fast, but it is also similar to putting a Band-Aid on a cut that needs stitches. It doesn’t last as long as hot material that is traditionally used in warmer climate.
