BUTTE – It’s that time of year when motorists in Butte are dodging potholes — and there are some big ones out there.
“We’ve seen a lot more big ones this year than in previous years,” said road crew member Ronald Rowling.
Butte’s long, cold winter and heavy snowfall created the perfect conditions for potholes, and road crews have been busy trying to fill them.
“The middle of March we were able to start Dura-patching and we done over 2,300 potholes throughout Butte-Silver Bow, so we know got a big job still ahead of us to go,” said Jennifer Kerns with the Road Department.
The city has two machines designed to quickly tackle potholes.
“If both machines are out and you’re in one area that’s real bad, you can pop off close to 500/600 potholes in one day,” said Rowling.
The process involves applying on a black, sticky substance that’s followed by putting gravel on top. This way motorists can drive right over it as soon as it’s done.
“Every pothole to me is important, but I have priorities that I have to go to. I call them ‘car swallowers’ or ‘airbag deployers.’ Those potholes are priority,” said Rowling.
And they will be at them all summer long. People can call the road department to report a pothole at 497-65465 or report it online at the Butte-Silver Bow website.
Reporting by John Emeigh for MTN News
