Pothole Patrol
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Report a pothole online
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 Winter precipitation drastically increases the
number of potholes that appear on Tulsa's streets. As with the
January, 2009, ice storm, moisture on the pavement and daily
freeze-and-thaw cycles are destructive forces on both asphalt and
concrete.
Mayor Kathy Taylor launched the Pothole Patrol program to
encourage citizens to report potholes.
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| What's a
Temporary Repair? |
What's a
Permanent Repair? |
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Pothole patching is only a temporary repair. It consists of
filling depressions in the pavement with cold-lay ashphalt, hot
asphalt or a mixture of aggregate and binder materials which can be
injected into the holes.
Almost all potholes are patched within 72 hours of being
reported to the Mayor's Action Center. Many are patched within 24
hours or on the same day the call is received.
Public Works Street Maintenance Crews make thousands of
temporary pothole repairs each year * 20,000 to 30,000 per year is
not uncommon, especially when we have winters with a lot of
freeze-and-thaw cycles and a lot of moisture. The cost of making
temporary repairs typically runs from $20 to $50.
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Permanent repairs, which are more expensive and time consuming
and require specialized equipment and skilled labor and other
materials, usually involve removing sections of worn or badly
damaged pavement "usually to the nearest pavement joint" and
replacing it with new reinforced concrete or asphalt. Sometimes it
also includes replacing base materials beneath the pavement. The
average permanent repair involves an area of about 10 square feet
and the costs average about $1,500 per repair, with some costing
considerably more. Permanent repairs are usually made by
contractors instead of by City employees.
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Pothole Repair
The Public Works Department is committed
to maintaining arterial and non-arterial streets.
Crews rely on citizens to report potholes. Once the call
is logged, it is then assigned to a field supervisor for
inspection. After this evaluation, a work order is generated for
either a permanent or temporary repair. If a pothole requires a
temporary patch, a work order is then generated for a permanent
repair.
Potholes on arterial streets are
usually repaired within two days. On residential streets, repairs
are usually made within five days of being reported. Potholes
posing safety hazards or those that will likely damage vehicles get
immediate repair if possible, including on weekends or after normal
business hours.
Winter weather is especially hard on
city streets. Potholes can be caused by water in the pores and
cracks of pavement freezing and expanding, then thawing. More
moisture can then enter and the cycle repeats. The repeated
expansion forces weaken and break apart the pavement and, as
vehicles drive over the weakened areas, potholes are gouged from
the concrete or asphalt surface.
City crews operate high-pressure
asphalt injectors to make temporary pothole repairs while other
City crews fill potholes by hand.
Also, a contractor is hired to make
permanent repairs by rebuilding the pavement around the
potholes.
