Potholes & Insurance Claims

Potholes

Potholes are created each year through the regular thaw-freeze cycle, which is the reason they seem to proliferate during springtime. Patch 4 B.

The temperature rises, snow melts, water seeps through tiny cracks in the pavement into the street’s subbase. When the temperature drops, the water refreezes, becoming ice that expands, which in turn forces the pavement above it and the ground below it to flex. As traffic drives over the flexing street, the pavement weakens.

Eventually, it weakens to the point where the asphalt pops out and exposes the street’s subbase.

Repairs

Town of Berwick Public Works Department crews work to repair potholes during the winter and spring. Repairs are triggered by the town becoming aware of the potholes. This is done through staff monitoring of streets and citizens reporting potholes.

Citizens are encouraged to report potholes. Doing so creates a work order, which triggers an inspection of the pothole. Based on a number of factors - available resources, damage that could occur, size, location, traffic volume on the street - the pothole is prioritized and addressed.

The greater the hazard, the higher the priority to fix, however, not all potholes need to be, or can be, repaired right away. Some are addressed in other ways, such as with a pylon or barricade.

What Can You Do?

• Slow down
• Avoid driving in puddles where possible
• Report potholes

Reporting Potholes

You can report a pothole by calling customer service at 902-538-8068 or using the contact page.