Snow, ice and freezing temperatures: It's a combination that's created around 9,000 potholes in Tulsa streets since early December.
"We've had a lot of cold weather, and we've already had two or three storms," said Street Maintenance Manager Tim McCorkell. "With that freeze-thaw cycle, you get a lot of moisture down in the cracks, and it pops the pavement up, and you have to go repatch again."
Another problem with the cold weather is when the temperature is below freezing, crews can't use hot asphalt, which makes a longer-lasting patch.
Tulsa's street maintenance division has 26 employees, so just a handful of crews are working to patch all those potholes. McCorkell said they're doing the best they can.
"I'm happy with the production the guys are getting," McCorkell said. "It'd be nice to have more employees to get it done quicker, but the overall picture, the guys are really working hard and getting as much done as possible."
The street maintenance division has 16 positions under a hiring freeze. McCorkell said that would be four or five more crews available to patch potholes.
