JACKSON, Wyo. — By all accounts, it’s pothole season in Jackson Hole.
The Town of Jackson, which usually averages 75 inches of snow, has received about 100 inches so far this winter. Plow drivers have been busy all winter keeping roads clear and with recent warm temperatures the past few weeks, potholes have appeared all around the valley.
“It’s been a really hard winter on our roads because it’s been so cold for so long and then a handful of freeze-thaw cycles, which just causes havoc,” Johnny Ziem assistant public works director for the Town of Jackson said.
“As far as potholes go we’ve been working on them every time it’s dry between storms.”
Troy Jerup, WYDOT maintence foreman
Ziem explained that the Public Works Department has tried to be proactive about clearing snow, scraping the streets and working on getting the gutters clear of ice to combat the pothole problem but with limited staff, catching up after a storm can take two or three days.
“One street will take two operators to clear it but sometimes up to five or six [operators],” Ziem said. “Our number one priority is getting roads cleared, hauling snow and filling new potholes on our streets.”
“We just ask that people understand that we have a finite budget, finite amount of staff and a finite amount of equipment but we are dealing with an infinite mother nature problem. We are just trying our hardest to get caught up,” Ziem said.
As for major roads like US26/89/191 and WY22, The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) is in charge of plowing and patching those potholes.
Troy Jerup, WYDOT’s maintenance foreman for the Jackson district told Buckrail, “as far as potholes go we’ve been working on them every time it’s dry between storms.”
Jerup said crews were out patching potholes on Thursday and Friday last week but with a new storm cycle settling in over the region today, those patches might break open again.
According to WYDOT Public Information Specialists Stephanie Harsha, in the spring, temporary “cold mix patches” are used to fill potholes because they can be applied quickly but moisture can still leach into the cracks and open the potholes back up.
“Most of these cold patches are lucky to last a few weeks before they are broken out and crumble into a pothole again. With excessive moisture, these patches could last only days,” Harsha said.
“We are definitely doing what we can it’s just tough when you patch them [the potholes], and the next day or so they break open,” Jerup said.
The permanent fix, which uses a hot mix, will likely begin in mid-April, Jerup said.
“If there is time, we have helped out WYDOT in the past filling holes,” Ziem said.
