A freeze-thaw effect from fluctuating temperatures this winter has caused the usual number of potholes on campus roads, though some of those potholes have been more concentrated because of construction of a new residence hall on South Green, an Ohio University grounds official said.
Wolfe Street, which connects Stewart Street and South Green Drive, has been especially vulnerable to potholes because brick lies beneath the asphalt, making it easier for water to seep into cracks and expand when it freezes with a drop in temperature, said Dave Hamill, assistant director of grounds for Ohio University.
Traffic on Wolfe Street also has increased ten-fold because construction vehicles are using the street to gain access to the new residence hall on South Green, Hamill said. Wolfe also has become a two-lane street, which puts more pressure on the road.
Because average temperatures have ranged from the high 20s to the high 30s during February, the freeze-thaw effect also has been the leading cause for erosion beneath the asphalt of Stewart Street and South Green Drive, said Andy Stone, the city Street Department director.
Hamill fills the potholes with a cold patch made of a gravel-and-tar mixture bought in Marietta. The patch is ideal for winter because it requires no heat to stick to the road and sells for $45.00 per ton, making it inexpensive, Hamill said.
Since February 22, OU has used 12 tons of cold patch at a cost of about $1000, which includes material and labor.
Hamill said he tries to fill potholes as they appear; repairs on Stewart Street and South Green Drive already are complete.
Hamill said he was unsure, however, when repairs on Wolfe Street will be complete.
This seemed to happen all at once
he said.
Hamill recommended reporting potholes on campus streets to OU Facilities Management. For city streets, residents can fill out the Pothole Reporting Form which can be accessed through the Street Department link on the city's Web site, www.ci.athens.oh.us, Stone said.
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Max Resnik
