Bone-jarring potholes return to Rochester-area roads

4:45 AM, Mar. 17, 2011  |  

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Rochester workers Jose DesPaigne, left, and Kim Williams fill potholes along Upper Falls Boulevard. The city is the only municipality in the county to make its own asphalt in winter. / JAMIE GERMANO staff photographer

Written by

Brian Sharp

By the numbers

1— Number of localities in Monroe County that make their own asphalt during the winter.
3— Number of crews Greece has repairing potholes.
5— Number of crews Greece is trying to get out to repair potholes.
38— Percent increase of pothole complaints to the city, from Jan. 1 through March 10 this year, over the same period in 2010.
502— Number of pothole complaints to the city as of March 10.
1,300— Tons of asphalt reclaimed, reheated and reinstalled by the city in a typical winter.

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A city crew pours a tar substance into a pothole to help the asphalt stick. / JAMIE GERMANO staff photographer

Pothole complaints

To report a problem pothole, call (800) POTHOLE (800-768-4653). In the city, call 311.

Navigating pothole-pocked roadways is a rite of spring. But after winter months with higher-than-average precipitation and lower-than-average temperatures, those blemishes that abound about town have become basins.
"It's like an artillery range out there — boom-boom-boom," said Steve Studebaker of Pittsford. "We can put a man on the moon, but we can't make a road that lasts a Rochester winter?"
While the quality and age of the road is a factor, any thoroughfare can fall victim to potholes with excess water, repeated freeze-thaw cycles — particularly with a deep frost — and traffic.
January was particularly cold. February was particularly wet. And behold: Pothole complaints to the city's 311 center are up 38 percent for the year compared to the same period in 2010, totaling more than 500 since January.
Whether this year truly is worse than most is difficult to gauge. Henrietta isn't seeing a spike. Monroe County is seeing an average year as well. Greece is receiving more calls and has put out an additional third crew, with hopes of fielding five, to work on potholes.
But every jurisdiction has its problem spots. East Ridge Road in Irondequoit is one. Jefferson Avenue in Perinton. Lyell Avenue in Spencerport. Elmwood and Mt. Hope avenues in the city.
"There's a pothole so big, I have to swerve every single day to make sure I don't lose my tire," Katie Keating of Rochester said of Elmwood Avenue. "Oh, my God, it's so bad. There's three (potholes) in a row."
In many cases the problem roads are slated for repair. Culver Road in the area of East High School in the city is a brutal stretch. Crews have struggled to patch potholes and maintain traffic, given ongoing utility work in advance of an upcoming road project, said Chris Wagner, the city's director of operations.
The city is unique here, being the only locality in Monroe County to make its own asphalt during the winter when asphalt plants shut down. Since 2004, the city has been recycling old road material with a special machine that allows them to reheat and reinstall 1,300 tons of asphalt waste in a typical winter.

That allows crews to make long-term fixes — on potholes and utility cuts made to repair broken water mains and the like — instead of just short-term "cold patch" repairs that often barely last the year.The city also uses cold patch where quality of material and compacting are critical.
Wagner said the goal is to repair potholes within two days of a complaint, but they are running slightly behind schedule because of the workload. Crews also spot and repair potholes on their own — often sent on one report, they find half a dozen, he said.
For motorists, hitting the wrong pothole can knock a vehicle out of alignment, or worse.
Kevin Finn, owner of Finn's Garage & Servicenter Inc. in Webster, said he has handled about 25 percent more repairs to damage related to potholes this year, compared to last.
Customers are coming in with bent rims and damage to ball joints, struts and tires.
Finn's advice to drivers: "Just try to miss any potholes you can without putting your life in danger. And definitely have the vehicle, if its pulling at all, get it lined up and it will save the tires in the long term."
Joe Bevacqua, owner of Advent Automotive in Victor, said he hasn't had many customers come in with problems caused by potholes.
He expects that to pick up in the next month, however.
Better, worse or about the same, this pothole season just seems particularly bad, said Dick Campbell of Irondequoit.
"So far, it's one of the worst because it's been a long, crappy winter," Campbell said. "Some of the potholes fill with water when it rains and you don't even see them."
Then, sure enough ... boom. "It's all over," said Bill Christmas, 58, of Greece.
"You know they are out there. Sometimes you can avoid them and sometimes you can't," Christmas said. "It's just another part of winter."
BDSHARP@DemocratandChronicle.com