MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The state Department of Highways (DOH) has reached an agreement to open an asphalt plant in the Morgantown area to begin milling and filling potholes as part of Operation R.I.P. Potholes.
“Our partners in the asphalt industry are cooperating with us to open during the off-season to provide us with hot asphalt to make needed repairs,” said Joe Pack, P.E., WVDOH Chief Engineer of Operations.
The WVDOH is concentrating on high traffic roads and branching out onto less heavily traveled roads in an attempt to patch as many potholes as possible before cold weather returns.
The recent freeze/thaw cycle of snow, very cold temperatures, and followed by warm air and rain, has caused some early potholes to begin showing. WVDOH crews have been patching roads with cold-mix asphalt in cold weather months, but that material is only a temporary fix. Hot asphalt and the mill and fill procedure is the most reliable way to repair potholes.
Asphalt plants operate seasonally in the warmer months due to production constraints. Additionally, winter months are normally dedicated to maintenance of those facilities.