Algonquin's Streets Team Plugs Fewer Potholes This Year

So far, the village’s streets crew in the public works department has filled just over 300 potholes—a 68 percent decrease from last year’s 954 potholes.

The reason for the drop in the number of potholes has to do with the village’s improved asphalt program, said Al Mozola, streets superintendent. 

“Plus the freeze-thaw cycle last year was awful, and we didn’t have that this year,” he said.

Mozola explained that potholes form when the frozen streets thaw and water gets into the cracks in the pavement. Then when the water freezes again, it expands to form ice and loosens the asphalt.

The village’s streets team is in the process of repairing all the potholes with a cold mix, which consists of filling up hole so that cars won’t be damaged if they drive over it.

Then starting in May when the weather warms up, the team will use a hot mix that compacts better and is more durable. The streets team removes a section of the road and fills it with a hot asphalt mix that as it cools, hardens to produce a compact surface.

“The road looks like a patch quilt,” Mozola said.

Last year, the streets team resurfaced 2.75 miles of road through this method.

“It’s actually a lot of roadway when you think about,” Mozola said.

To report a pothole, click here.