County has a bumper crop of potholes

By Mike Marino
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Cibola County has been experiencing more moisture than usual for this time of the year and along with greater amounts of moisture, colder temperatures and a freeze and thaw factor, comes an increase in road deterioration in the form of the automobile-damaging pothole.

Potholes occur when the top layer or asphaltic surface of the roadway has worn away leaving a raveled edge hole that can be up to 10 inches deep.

"Usually we can budget for the pothole season in advance, but this year the cold and moisture was unusually high so this year our budget will be a little higher as well," said Dennis Montoya, assistant Public Works director for the Cibola County Road Commission.

Potholes can also be costly when it comes to automobile damage and repair. According to the Highway Safety Council, pothole damage accounts for nearly 500,000 insurance claims a year, so experts recommend looking for damage immediately following an encounter with a pothole. Potholes can cause instant damage such as in the case of a punctured tire or cumulative damage such as misalignments of the steering system.

"When we do receive a report of vehicle damage we try to get out immediately to look at that damage and also to get a crew out to repair the pothole to prevent any further incidents," Montoya said.

Not only tires but rims should be inspected immediately as well. Most modern vehicles have rims that are aluminum-based which means they can't withstand as much pothole damage as the older steel rims.

"We have pothole crews on the job during pothole season which can actually begin with the first thaw from a deep freeze and the roads absorb more moisture," Montoya said. "We get out and repair reported holes immediately. Our roads in the county are referred to as chip-fill types so for road repairs we lay a coating of oil first then overlay with a half-inch layer of chips. It's a little rougher surface than some roads that experience more traffic than we do in a rural area but it also means we can repair faster and more cost effectively."

Motorists who happen to run into an area with a pothole or two can call the road commission to make a report so crews can get out and get them fixed. The number to report potholes is 285-2570.