If you’re driving down the road and hit a pothole, you’ll usually curse and pray that no damage has come to your car. Year after year, you might get frustrated as your city ignores potholes and cracks that could potentially be dangerous to drive on and cause damage to your vehicle. You may wonder why the city never does anything about them and how long can this keep going on before citizens take up arms and protect the city’s lacking empathy.
Here’s What to Know About Paving in Cold Weather
However, in many places across the US, asphalt repairs and paving projects can’t take place during the winter. Why? Because it’s cold. Some forms of asphalt, many that have to do with the creation and upkeep of roads, can’t be mixed, set or sealed during winter because of the cold and snow. Certain types of asphalt, most notably the hot mix asphalt, can’t be set in winter because of the temperatures needed to set it properly.
If you live in an area that sees cold or snow, this is why winter can be one of the most frustrating times to drive locally. You’ll see parking lots, streets and driveways in dire need of replacement and repair. They get worse during the winter, especially as people have to drive over them to get to and fro. It may be frustrating, but there’s really nothing the city can do until the spring. That’s why when the weather warms up and the cold is behind a place, you’ll see asphalt companies just about everywhere.
If you live in an area that’s prone to cold, snow and bad weather during winter, do what you can to avoid areas you know are damaged. This will save you time and frustration having to put your vehicle in the shop. Potholes can be especially damaging to cars, even causing accidents. If you can avoid them, do so at all costs. If you can’t, do your best to avoid them by turning to the side or switching lanes. Until the spring is here, the best you can do is avoid potholes and cracks in the asphalt roads you drive on every day.