Huntsville Public Works crews respond to influx of potholes after ice storm
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — It may feel like the ice storm that hit Huntsville in mid-January is a thing of the past, but it may still be impacting roads.
“The icing on the roads, certainly followed up by a rain event for a few days after was a perfect storm for seeing additional potholes,” said Preston Whitaker, the Manager of Public Works Maintenance for the City of Huntsville. “I would say that the numbers have increased over the past few weeks.”
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However, he said this isn’t abnormal. This time of year is known as “pothole season” to many people.
Whitaker said the cold and wet weather in the winter and spring make it a prime time for potholes. That’s because potholes are formed when water seeps into the soil, freezes, and then thaws which can cause cracking in the pavement. But, he said crews in Huntsville are prepared.
“We have five maintenance areas that we take care of within the city limits of Huntsville,” he said. “Every area has crews that are assigned for not only pothole repair but all street repairs, utility cuts, that doesn’t change this time of year… The guys are still out and about in those areas working those on the daily.”
News 19 caught up with one crew working in a neighborhood off of Bailey Cove Road late last week. The crew was repairing pavement on Golden Road.
Whitaker said the City of Huntsville takes an active approach to fixing poor road conditions.
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“Our resurfacing program has been really important and the city administration has done a great job of providing funding for additional street resurfacing the last couple of years,” he said. “That has really made a large impact on our maintenance program.”
The City of Huntsville also has a mobile app and webpage available called “Huntsville Connect.” It allows users to report potholes and other issues, submit pictures, the geo-location of the issue, and receive updates on the status of the repair.
News 19 perused the reported potholes on the app and many had already been “completed.” One pothole that was reported on Sunday on NW Grayson Street, has already been acknowledged by city workers, and assigned to Public Works.
“We are generally real quick to have guys out there to evaluate those issues,” Whitaker said.
“We just appreciate your patience, and the guys out there work really hard to try to make safe travel for our citizens on the daily,” Whitaker added.
He reminds drivers to be cautious when driving past repair crews, due to the dangerous nature of working in the middle of traffic.
“We would appreciate that you when you see those guys out there, that you would slow down and be courteous to what they’re trying to do,” he said.
Huntsville Public Works crews can only repair potholes within Huntsville City limits. Frequently traveled roads like Interstate 565 and Memorial Parkway are maintained by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).
ALDOT also has an online portal where you can report road issues, such as potholes. You can do that by clicking here.
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