By Sara Beth Williams–
The city’s implementation of the new Three-Year Pavement Preservation Plan will help address and reduce recurring pothole situations, according to the city.
City of Citrus Heights Communications Officer Marisa Brown told The Sentinel that the three-year strategy will increase the annual coverage of reconditioning from two centerline miles to 52 centerline miles and will help “ensure safer travel on the roads we use daily.”
When asked about the persistent instances of potholes, Brown said the city is continuing its pothole and mill-and-fill road maintenance operations. Both operations are now utilizing hot mix asphalt, which is used for long-term repair to address recurring pothole situations. The ongoing long-term strategy of maintenance should also help reduce the costs of future roadway conditioning, Brown added.
The city’s website refers to potholes as a “plague” that regularly appears on major thoroughfares and neighborhood streets alike, and heavy winter rains often exasperate the situation. Meghan Huber, Economic Development and Community Engagement Director for the City of Citrus Heights, told The Sentinel last year that the city dispatches crews to repair cracks “as soon as possible” but also said concerns were addressed in order of priority.
Huber said storms can bring out potholes when water seeps into cracks in the pavement. Temperature drops cause water to freeze and expand, which causes asphalt to pop out and create potholes.
Related: City crews are out filling potholes after storm. Here’s how to report one – Citrus Heights Sentinel
Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney told the City Council in a January update that potholes were being filled with a temporary cold mixture that would need to be replaced once the weather warmed. At the time, Feeney said the current fixes were a “cold patch/cut back” that works in winter weather, while a permanent fix of “hot mix asphalt” is used during warmer months.
Brown told The Sentinel via email last week that warming temperatures have allowed asphalt plants to resume operation for the season, which now enables the road maintenance team to focus on permanent repairs as opposed to temporary application.
In May 2022, the City Council established an objective to evaluate pavement restoration strategies, and a Three-Year Pavement Preservation Plan was approved in a 4-1 vote by the City Council Dec. 14, 2023.
Related: City approves 3-year plan for improving roads in Citrus Heights – Citrus Heights Sentinel
Residents can report potholes by calling, texting, emailing, or through the See Click Fix app.
- Phone: Calling General Services at (916) 727-4770
- Email: ServiceRequestGSD@citrusheights.net
- Online: www.citrusheights.net/servicerequests
- Text: Send a message for “Service Request” to (844) 92-HELLO
- App: SeeClickFix app is available at the Apple Store or Google Play
Residents are asked to include a detailed description of the pothole’s location, including: street name, the direction of travel, cross street or closest street address, and size and depth of the pothole, according to the city’s website.
The city’s implementation of the new Three-Year Pavement Preservation Plan will help address and reduce recurring pothole situations, according to the city...
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