Thawing ice leaves cities, counties patching holes

Tom Bittner (left) and Dave Miller of the Sterling Public Works Department use asphalt to fill potholes along Lincolnway Monday afternoon. (Philip Marruffo/SVN)

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This weekend's warm weather was a welcome surprise to many.

The melting snow and ice, though, uncovered some unpleasant and unwelcome surprises - a host of dangerous potholes.

City and county crews were on patrol Monday, fixing potholes and other damage caused by the "freeze-thaw" cycle.

When temperatures are high enough to melt ice, water seeps into road cracks. When it freezes again, it causes the asphalt to expand and blow apart, creating a pothole.

In Sterling, street crews were patching on East Third and Fourth streets, said Vern Gottel, director of Community Services.

The damage comes as no surprise to Gottel.

"We've seen a rapid rate of deterioration on East Third and East Fourth Streets over the last three winters," he said. "It's something everyone is dealing with statewide, especially in the northwest area of the state."

Rock Falls Street Department Superintendent Jim White said his crews patched a few big holes on First and Dixon avenues, and will be out again today.

"We had a big temperature change overnight and a lot of moisture from the rain," White said. "You never know when the weather will get warmer and then freeze again."

This time of year, most municipalities patch the roads temporarily, tamping down cold asphalt until the weather dries and permanent fixes can be made.

Highways seemed to fare better than other roadways.

Not much damage was reported in Lee County, county engineer Dave Anderson said.

"I think by the springtime, we will see some wear on the pavement if it continues to freeze and thaw," Anderson said.

Whiteside County highways also sustained little damage, county engineer Steve Haring said.

"We're in fairly good shape," Haring said. "We've had a few potholes here and there, so we're planning to go out and patch them up before they become a problem."

Hitting a pothole can damage tires and throw off a car's alignment, and bad roads are causing a bump in business at some local auto body shops, owners say.

John Varga, owner of Varga's Collision Center in Dixon, said motorists need to be as aware of potholes as they are of ice on the roads.

His advice? Slow down.

"Not enough people are taking enough time to slow down and drive with caution," he said. "People will think the roads are clear, and that's when a lot of the damage is done."