By: Isaac Graff
After a record breaking winter in terms of snowfall and temperatures, warmer weather has finally returned to the metro. With every winter to spring transition comes the creation of potholes all over the metro and this year is no different.
With over 50 inches of snowfall this winter in the metro combined with record temperatures the snow was not allowed to melt much if at all until early this month. This, along with rainfall at the beginning of March with temperatures just above freezing, caused rapid snowmelt all over the city.
Because the temperatures were so close to freezing during the storms and then dropped below after, the conditions created the perfect scenario for potholes. With the roads covered in water from the rain and snowmelt it froze overnight, and potholes were created all over the city.
In a news release published on March 11 by Mayor Jean Stothert’s office it was reported that the city had received 1,320 requests for pothole repair the first week of March alone. Many of the requests were duplicated but 189 work orders were created due to these requests. A work order can be one pothole, or a series of potholes in one area.
Also, in the news release the mayor laid out a plan of how the city will be completing those work orders saying, “This week, weather permitting, Public Works crews will work in two shifts from 3:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. to repair potholes.”
Hot asphalt was made available on March 19 for pothole repair, which is not usually available until April. Hot asphalt provides a more permanent repair than cold asphalt used during the winter months.
“We understand the frustration,” said Mayor Stothert. “We have additional personnel and we’ll have hot asphalt in a few days, but what we really need is a long stretch of dry weather.”
Over the past week the weather has cooperated and allowed for crews to make a lot of progress all over the city. However, there is still a lot of progress to be made.
Overall, the city is listening to the concerns of the public, including paying for some personal repairs caused by the potholes. On March 19 it was also reported by multiple outlets that the city will pay for repairs, when the City of Omaha made an exception to its long-standing policy in line with other Midwestern states to not, when they are submitted through the city clerk’s office. So far, the city has received 59 claims totaling about $29,000.
