AMHERST - After what was a nightmarish 2009, things are much quieter on the pothole front this year.
"It doesn't seem to be as bad this year," Amherst's director of transportation and public works, Ben Pitman said. "There are still quite a few out there, but it's not as bad as it was last year."
At this time last year, town crews were constantly filling and refilling potholes throughout the town with Industrial Park Drive and Abbey Road being among the worst two streets.
One of the reasons things aren't as bad this year is there haven't been many freeze-thaw periods that play havoc with asphalt and cause potholes to emerge. Pitman said the fact the temperature has stayed relatively constant this winter has helped transportation crews keep up.
However, that doesn't mean crews are ready to take it easy since there are still a number of areas in town experiencing potholes again this year.
"There's an area of Havelock Street that's been a bit of a problem this year and the intersection of Church and Spring is always bad." - Ben Pitman, Amherst director of transportation and public works, on potholes this year
"There's an area of Havelock Street that's been a bit of a problem this year and the intersection of Church and Spring is always bad," Pitman said.
There's also several weeks of winter weather left to go and it's possible more potholes may show up in other places as well as those potholes that have already been filled.
The town normally orders 500 tonnes of cold mix every spring to use in potholes. A cold patch is used until temperatures moderate in the spring and summer at which time town crews apply a permanent fix.
Pitman said town crews strive to be vigilant when it comes to potholes with the main emphasis continuing to be the main roads and intersections. If someone does discover a large pothole, they can contact the town garage at 667-3334.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
