Heavy snowfall, melt-off, rain, and freeze-thaw cycle cause varying responses.
Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager - Public Works
Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 2:09 p.m.
City of Spokane Public Works teams are being put to the test by Mother Nature so far this winter season. Street Department crews have completed three full-City plows since early November, maintaining more than 10,000 lane miles. The Spokane NOAA weather office reported 34 inches of snow as of Dec. 22. The network of Combined System Overflow tanks has held millions of gallons of run-off so it could be processed over time to protect the Spokane River. And now street maintenance crews are chasing down and filling potholes as they receive reports.
“Infrastructure and maintenance are things people don’t really think about until there is a problem,” says Public Works Director Marlene Feist. “The last six weeks has really highlighted the many improvements that have been made over time and how our team and systems successfully work together to meet the needs of the community.”
Weather can be unpredictable; however, we do know what happens when there are freeze-thaw events. Anytime water gets into cracks and holes in the pavement and freezes, it expands. That expansion can lead to asphalt breaking up and add in warmer temperatures with rain or run-off, vehicle traffic and those small holes grow big fast.
Thank You for:
