Potholes emerge at alarming rate
Janine Loechel
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
Media Credit: Steven LeeHuge gaping potholes can be found throughout the streets near campus--including this one located on Taylor Street.
City driving is difficult enough: swerving around protruding busses, erratic taxi drivers and yielding to pedestrians. Yet this winter, driving has become significantly worse with having to dodge the city's numerous potholes. Chicago potholes are developing at an alarmingly high rate, negatively affecting daily driving all throughout the Chicagoland area.
Jackson Street alone is now one of the streets where lane divisions are a mere suggestion. As winter proceeds, more potholes are developing, inconveniencing the daily commute.
Potholes are triggered by the consistently fluctuating temperatures Chicago has recently undergone. These jumping temperatures create a freeze-thaw cycle, which is a prime condition in the formation of potholes. A crack in the road is formed, water seeps in and "freezes (water expands when frozen), causing the road surface to bulge, and then thaws, returning it to the original position.
"Over time, the road surface weakens and the hole expands in size with wear," explains Wildman Jackson of Argonne National Laboratory. Factor in the pressures of heavy traffic - which loosens the pavement, and road craters dominate the streets.
First year student Oliver San Juan recently flattened his tire by driving over a pothole. As a daily commuter, San Juan said, "It's ridiculous. You try to dodge one pothole only to land in another."
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is working on filling in as many potholes as possible with a method they term the "throw-and-roll." In this road repair, crew members place material filler inside, compact it, verify the work done, and move on to the next inflicted area. The filler is made of coal instead of sturdier asphalt, which is usually repaired during warmer seasons. However, the coal mix is only a temporary patch up, lasting as minimally as a few weeks. IDOT chooses this method for the quick time repair and high productivity.
"I haven't seen too many temporary fills. I've seen more holes than fills," frustrated local roofer Mark Warwick adds.
Luckily for motorists who have gotten flat tires or have developed rim damage to their cars, reimbursement from IDOT is possible.
"If we fail to fix it, we've got a duty to pay for the damage that was caused," explained IDOT Spokesperson Mike Claffey. Forms are accessible online and should be mailed in with cost estimates. Reimbursements may take four to six months.
Mayor Daley sums up the pothole mess with words of wisdom, "Move over Rat, because this is the year of potholes."
For more information on reimbursements and filing claims, visit www.chicityclerk.com/claims/mod_propertyform.htm
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Jackson Street alone is now one of the streets where lane divisions are a mere suggestion. As winter proceeds, more potholes are developing, inconveniencing the daily commute.
Potholes are triggered by the consistently fluctuating temperatures Chicago has recently undergone. These jumping temperatures create a freeze-thaw cycle, which is a prime condition in the formation of potholes. A crack in the road is formed, water seeps in and "freezes (water expands when frozen), causing the road surface to bulge, and then thaws, returning it to the original position.
"Over time, the road surface weakens and the hole expands in size with wear," explains Wildman Jackson of Argonne National Laboratory. Factor in the pressures of heavy traffic - which loosens the pavement, and road craters dominate the streets.
First year student Oliver San Juan recently flattened his tire by driving over a pothole. As a daily commuter, San Juan said, "It's ridiculous. You try to dodge one pothole only to land in another."
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is working on filling in as many potholes as possible with a method they term the "throw-and-roll." In this road repair, crew members place material filler inside, compact it, verify the work done, and move on to the next inflicted area. The filler is made of coal instead of sturdier asphalt, which is usually repaired during warmer seasons. However, the coal mix is only a temporary patch up, lasting as minimally as a few weeks. IDOT chooses this method for the quick time repair and high productivity.
"I haven't seen too many temporary fills. I've seen more holes than fills," frustrated local roofer Mark Warwick adds.
Luckily for motorists who have gotten flat tires or have developed rim damage to their cars, reimbursement from IDOT is possible.
"If we fail to fix it, we've got a duty to pay for the damage that was caused," explained IDOT Spokesperson Mike Claffey. Forms are accessible online and should be mailed in with cost estimates. Reimbursements may take four to six months.
Mayor Daley sums up the pothole mess with words of wisdom, "Move over Rat, because this is the year of potholes."
For more information on reimbursements and filing claims, visit www.chicityclerk.com/claims/mod_propertyform.htm
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