Public Works Department - Operations

Pothole Repair

Potholes in the pavement appear when a road surface becomes worn and has suffered the effects of weather and traffic. Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the pavement, freezing, expanding, and then thawing. This weakens the pavement. Traffic loosens the pavement even more, and it eventually crumbles and pops out.

Weather & Potholes:

As you know, we have had a hard winter this year. Weather affects potholes and pothole repairs in several ways -

• The weather plays a key role in the formation of potholes. If rain water gets between two layers of asphalt and then freezes, the expanding ice lifts out a piece of the top layer of asphalt and creates a pothole. So the freezing and thawing cycle is very destructive for our roadways in general.
• Additionally, when we go to repair a pothole, it cannot be full of water. If the pothole is wet, the asphalt patch will not adhere to the existing asphalt. This creates a very short-lived repair.

We have a large backlog of potholes for repair due to poor weather conditions. Wet weather and freeze-thaw cycles are creating more than usual number of potholes and making it difficult for us to get out and get them repaired. When the weather conditions permit, the City is utilizing extra crews to make repairs.

We attempt to fix all potholes on section of roadway once we respond to a reported pothole. Also, we do give priority to dangerous potholes, defined as those that are in travel lanes with a severe depth.

Reporting Potholes:

If you see a pothole on Chesapeake City streets, please contact our Customer Contact Center at 382-CITY, or if you prefer to report online, go to cityofchesapeake.net., select the "Chesapeake Customer Contact Center" in the upper left hand corner, scroll down to "Streets - Pothole Repair" and report the location. An investigator will evaluate the pothole and place it on a work list for repairs. Repairs can vary depending on the problem. Most often, a pothole can be repaired with a patch of asphalt. Sometime further measures are required depending on the condition of the subsurface of the road.