Potholes enter peak season

Potholes are depressions in the pavement surface that require continual monitoring and repair.

They most commonly develop when water seeps into tiny cracks in the street’s surface. In winter, the water freezes, weakens the pavement, then thaws and leaves a hole under the pavement. Once vehicles pass over it, the pavement starts to crumble and a pothole begins. This is why spring is the peak season for potholes.

Even without water seeping in and freezing, traffic can cause the materials beneath the pavement surface to move and create a weak spot. Then, every time that a vehicle rolls over it, the damage increases until a new pothole appears.

The City’s Maintenance Division maintains and improves 342 miles of roadways and repairs potholes using materials such as a hot asphalt and cold asphalt patches when hot material is not available in winter months. To report a pothole in Bloomington, visit blm.mn/pothole or call 952-563-8760.