Julie Happy, Division Communication Manager of Business and Developer Services, No Phone Number Available
Monday, February 16, 2015 at Noon
There hasn't been much snow, but City Streets crews have still been busy this winter. Warmer weather and lack of snowfall has also allowed crews to spend more time on other things, including filling potholes, cleaning winter debris off streets and grading dirt roadways.
Snow removal is only a small portion of what our street crews do during the winter season. Most of their time and effort is focused on preparing our streets for any combination of moisture and freezing temperatures. That moisture could include snow, rain, fog, dew or any other precipitation that may freeze on the roadway.
Although we haven't seen a lot of snow so far this year in Spokane, we have experienced winter weather with freezing temperatures. These conditions require a lot of sand and deicer product to manage. We have seen a significant increase in deicer and sand usage preparing for the freezing overnight temperatures.
Despite the increase, though, we expect to finish the 2013-2014 snow season $150,000 under budget.
Of course, freezing conditions lead to potholes as well. Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water after the water has entered into the ground under the pavement.
Pothole data comparison by year
| Year | Total # |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,948 |
| 2013 | 2,882 |
| 2012 | 2,959 |
| 2011 | 3,976 |
If you see a pothole, report it to the City's Pothole Hotline at 509.625.7733. Street Maintenance Crews are also proactive in looking for potholes and getting them repaired.
